Health Every cigarette shortens lives by 20 minutes, according to estimates
Smokers shorten their lives by an average of 20 minutes with every cigarette, according to estimates by British scientists. This figure is 17 minutes for men and 22 minutes for women.
31.12.2024, 13:56
SDA
This is according to a statement from the British government, which cites the findings of three researchers from University College London (UCL). The data is based on a new analysis of two long-term studies from the UK.
"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, which commissioned the study. By the end of the year, the number of days of life saved will be 50.
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 11 minutes. 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 Germany and other Western countries," said the head of the Cancer Prevention Unit at the German Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg.
The announcement is part of a campaign by the British government to persuade people to quit. One of the authors of the study stated that he works for a company that develops tobacco replacement products. The work of Sarah Jackson and her team has been published in the journal "Addiction".
