London: Smoking takes a far greater toll on life expectancy than previously believed, a new study from University College London (UCL) reveals. For men, each cigarette smoked shortens life by 17 minutes, while for women, the cost is even higher at 22 minutes per cigarette. These figures surpass earlier estimates, which suggested an 11-minute loss per cigarette.
Commissioned by the UK’s Department for Health and Social Care, the study urges smokers to make quitting their top resolution for the New Year.
The research concludes that a pack of 20 cigarettes robs an average smoker of nearly seven hours of life. Over a lifetime, smokers who don’t quit lose approximately a decade of life, according to Dr. Sarah Jackson, a principal research fellow at UCL.
“Smokers lose about the same number of healthy years as total years of life. Smoking primarily eats into relatively healthy middle years rather than the later years often marked by chronic illness,” the authors explained.
The study uses the metaphor of an “escalator of death” to emphasize the urgency of quitting. It suggests that stopping the habit on New Year’s Day could give smokers back a week of life by mid-February and nearly 50 days of life by year’s end.
However, the full benefits come only with total cessation. The research stresses that even smoking one cigarette a day carries significant risks, including heart disease and stroke, which remain 50% as high as for those who smoke a pack daily.
The World Health Organization (WHO) underscores that tobacco is among the greatest public health threats globally. Smoking claims over 8 million lives annually, including 1.3 million non-smokers exposed to second-hand smoke.
With approximately 1.3 billion tobacco users worldwide, 80% of them in low- and middle-income countries, the burden of tobacco-related illness and death disproportionately affects vulnerable populations.
The study delivers a sobering message: quitting smoking isn’t just a lifestyle change—it’s a life-saving decision. As 2025 approaches, researchers hope these findings inspire smokers to step into the New Year with a commitment to a healthier future.