Smoking can significantly decrease your lifespan.

Did you know that each cigarette you smoke takes away 20 minutes from your lifespan? Yes, you read that right. New research has revealed that smoking can drastically reduce your life expectancy. The harmful effects of smoking are not gender-specific, as both men and women are affected. However, men seem to lose around 17 minutes of their lives with each cigarette, while women lose an estimated 22 minutes.

These findings are much higher than previous estimates, which suggested that smoking takes away only 11 minutes from a person's life. The new estimates are based on more up-to-date data from long-term studies that track the health of the population. According to researchers from University College London, the damage caused by smoking is cumulative. This means that the more cigarettes a person smokes and the longer they continue to smoke, the shorter their lifespan will be.

The study, commissioned by the Department for Health and Social Care, also revealed that quitting smoking can have significant benefits. For instance, if a 10-cigarettes-a-day smoker quits on January 1, by January 8, they could already "prevent loss of a full day of life." In fact, if they manage to stay smoke-free until August 5, they could potentially add a whole month to their lifespan.

The research also highlighted that smokers typically lose a similar number of healthy years as they do total years of life. This means that smoking doesn't just shorten a person's life, but also takes away years of good health. For instance, a 60-year-old smoker will have the same health profile as a 70-year-old non-smoker.

The study's lead researcher, Dr. Sarah Jackson, emphasized the importance of understanding the harmful effects of smoking. She stressed that quitting at any age can significantly improve a person's health and life expectancy. The benefits of quitting begin almost immediately and can have a positive impact on a person's health regardless of their age.

Health officials have also urged smokers to take advantage of available resources and support to quit smoking. These include the NHS Quit Smoking app and the online Personal Quit Plan. Public health minister Andrew Gwynne also encouraged smokers to make a New Year's resolution to quit smoking and take control of their health.

Professor Sanjay Agrawal, special adviser on tobacco at the Royal College of Physicians, commented on the research, saying that every cigarette smoked takes away precious minutes of life and has a devastating impact on individuals, the healthcare system, and the economy. He stressed the urgent need to address smoking as the leading preventable cause of death and disease in the UK. It's never too late to make a positive change for your health, and with the right support, quitting smoking is possible.

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