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Topics: Health
Gerrard Kaonga
Experts are calling on smokers to finally kick the habit as they reveal just how much life a person loses from regularly smoking.
At this point most people are aware at just how detrimental smoking tobacco is to a person’s health.
However, a new study has given an updated analysis on just how much the habit reduces a person’s life expectancy.
Dr Sarah Jackson, a principal research fellow at UCL’s alcohol and tobacco research group spoke on the study and the negative impacts of smoking.
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She said: “People generally know that smoking is harmful but tend to underestimate just how much.
“On average, smokers who don’t quit lose around a decade of life. That’s 10 years of precious time, life moments, and milestones with loved ones.”
Researchers at University College London found that on average a single cigarette takes about 20 minutes off a person’s life. This means that a typical pack of 20 cigarettes can shorten a person’s life by nearly seven hours.
The study, commissioned by the Department of Health, draws on the latest data from the British Doctors Study and was published in the Journal of addiction.
Eventually this will add up and can spark a slew of different health issues in addition to the shortened life span.
The assessment broke down just how much life a person could gain back if they decided to quit the unhealth habit in 2025.
According to the analysis, if a smoker on 10 cigarettes a day quits on 1 January, they could prevent the loss of a full day of life by 8 January.
They could boost their life expectancy by a week if they quit until 5 February and a whole month if they stop until 5 August. By the end of the year, they could have avoided losing 50 days of life, the assessment found.
Jackson went on to explain that continuing to smoke could mean a person struggles with other health complications as well as having a shortened life.
She said: “Some people might think they don’t mind missing out on a few years of life, given that old age is often marked by chronic illness or disability. But smoking doesn’t cut short the unhealthy period at the end of life.
“It primarily eats into the relatively healthy years in midlife, bringing forward the onset of ill-health. This means a 60-year-old smoker will typically have the health profile of a 70-year-old non-smoker.”
The study authors also emphasize the health benefits of stopping smoking at any age. So this might be the best new year resolution for 2025.