According to a new study from researchers at University College London (UCL), women lose an average of 22 minutes of life per cigarette, while men lose 17 minutes of life.

Earlier estimates had shown that each cigarette reduces life by about 11 minutes. However, the latest study based on long-term population health data found that smoking loses an average of 20 minutes of life per cigarette in both genders.

Research commissioned by the UK Department of Health and Social Care highlights that the harm caused by smoking is cumulative. This means that the sooner a person quits smoking, the better his or her chances of living a long and healthy life.

The study highlights that there are immediate benefits if one quits on January 1st. For example:

• A person who smokes 10 cigarettes a day can prevent the loss of an entire day of life within just eight days of quitting smoking.
• By February, they may get an extra week of life.
• By August, they can extend their lifespan by a full month.

“A person who smokes 10 cigarettes per day who quits smoking on January 1, 2025, can save an entire day by January 8, a week of life by February 20 and a month of life by August 5 from being wasted. By the end, they could have avoided losing 50 days of life,” the authors wrote.

Dr Sarah Jackson, Principal Research Fellow at the UCL Alcohol and Tobacco Research Group, said: “The sooner a person stops smoking, the longer they live. Quitting at any age significantly improves health, and The benefits begin almost immediately.”

The study also suggests that smoking primarily affects the relatively healthy middle years of life, rather than shortening the end-of-life period due to chronic disease. For example, a 60-year-old smoker usually has the same health profile as a 70-year-old non-smoker.

UK health authorities have followed this study to encourage smokers to use resources such as the NHS Quit Smoking App and Personal Quit Plan, which provide advice and support to help them successfully quit smoking.

Professor Sanjay Agarwal, special adviser on tobacco at the Royal College of Physicians, stressed the wider impact of smoking: “Each cigarette smoked wastes precious minutes of life, and the cumulative effect is devastating – not just for individuals but our health care system. And also for the economy.”

The study concluded with a clear message: Quitting smoking at any age has immediate and long-term health benefits. It’s never too late to take the first step toward a healthy life.