There is plenty of research showing that smoking is a serious health hazard; Smoking is the leading cause of preventable disease in the United States. More than 6.5 million people living in England are currently classed as smokers. In this new study, the team at UCL took another approach to convincing people to quit smoking, highlighting the damage done by just one cigarette.
RESEARCHED FOR BOTH GENDERS
The researchers pulled statistics from the British Doctors Study and the Million Women Study for women to find mortality data for men living in the UK. They calculated the impact of smoking on longevity down to the level of a single cigarette for both genders. They found that among long-term smokers, a single cigarette reduced life expectancy by 17 minutes for men and 22 minutes for women.
They also found that data from both sources supported previous findings that the harm caused by smoking is cumulative and that the benefits gained from quitting depend on a variety of factors, including current health status, how long a person has lived, and how many cigarettes a day they smoke.
NOT SMOKING FOR A WEEK PREVENTS A ONE-DAY DECREASE IN LIFE
The research team also noted that the overall benefits of quitting smoking can be broken down into days, weeks, months or even years. For example, not smoking for a week can prevent a one-day reduction in lifespan; Doing this for several months can prevent a full week of reduced lifespan.
QUITTING SMOKING AT A YOUNG AGE IS MORE BENEFICIAL THAN QUITTING SMOKING AT A LATER AGE.
They also note that quitting smoking at a relatively young age provides more benefits than quitting at an older age; For example, quitting at age 40 has been shown to reduce the risk of dying from smoking-related diseases by up to 90%.