Researchers now certain

Every cigarette shortens life by 20 minutes

The government in London plans to gradually ban the purchase of tobacco completely.

(Bild: Nopphon - stock.adobe.com)

Studies repeatedly show how harmful smoking really is for our bodies. British researchers are certain: every cigarette shortens life by 17 minutes (men) and 22 minutes (women).

"If a smoker quits on New Year's Day, they can save a whole week of their life by February 20," says the statement from the Department of Health in London about the study. By the end of the year, the number of days of life saved would amount to 50.

British data probably also applies to other countries
The data is based on a new evaluation of two long-term studies from the UK. The research team took into account more recent data, a longer observation period and more factors than an earlier estimate from the year 2000, when the time lost due to a cigarette was estimated at eleven minutes. However, this was based on the assumption that smokers who do not quit lose an average of 6.5 years of their life expectancy. Now it is assumed to be ten years for men and eleven years for women.

These are British data, but it can be assumed that they also apply to other Western countries," said the head of the Cancer Prevention Unit at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) in Heidelberg. 

British government wants to ban the purchase of tobacco
Harm Wienbergen from the Bremen Institute for Cardiovascular Research believes the estimate is plausible, but pointed out that there are major individual differences in how harmful a cigarette is. "One important point is certainly the age at which you start smoking."

80,000 deaths per year
The government in London is planning to gradually ban the purchase of tobacco completely. A corresponding law stipulates that people born after January 1, 2009 will never be able to legally purchase tobacco products. According to the government, smoking is the most common preventable cause of death in the UK, accounting for 80,000 deaths a year and a quarter of all cancers.