A newly published study has highlighted the severe health risks of smoking, revealing that each cigarette smoked takes an average of 20 minutes off a person’s life expectancy. This finding underscores the importance of quitting smoking, with authorities urging smokers to take action in 2025.
Researchers from University College London (UCL) discovered that a regular pack of 20 cigarettes can reduce a person’s life by nearly seven hours. The study also showed that quitting smoking has immediate benefits: for example, someone who smokes 10 cigarettes a day could save a full day of life within just one week of quitting, and by the end of the year, could regain nearly 50 days of life expectancy.
This research comes amid the recent passing of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill in the UK, which includes groundbreaking measures aimed at creating the first smoke-free generation. The bill will phase out the sale of tobacco products to anyone born after January 1, 2009, and extend smoking bans to certain outdoor public spaces.
Public Health Minister Andrew Gwynne commented on the study’s findings, emphasizing the deadly nature of smoking and the vital need for smokers to quit. Research from Censuswide also shows that over half (53%) of smokers plan to quit as part of their New Year’s resolution in 2025.
Smoking remains the leading preventable cause of death, disability, and ill health in the UK, responsible for around 80,000 deaths annually, including one-quarter of all cancer deaths in England.
Sarah Jackson from the UCL Alcohol and Tobacco Research Group reiterated the urgency of quitting smoking, stating that people lose approximately 20 minutes of life for each cigarette. The earlier a person quits, the greater the health benefits, which begin almost immediately.
