SMOKERS wipe an average of 20 minutes off their life with every cigarette, fresh analysis shows.
That is nearly double previous estimates of 11 minutes.
Men lose 17 minutes of life with every fag they smoke while a woman’s life is cut short by 22 minutes, experts have estimated.
The University College London paper, for the Department of Health, is based on the latest data from long-term studies tracking the wellbeing of the population.
It suggests someone smoking ten ciggies a day who quits on January 1 could save a day of life by January 8.
By February 20, their lives could be extended by a week. And by August 5, they will likely live for a month longer.
The authors said: “We estimate that on average, smokers who do not quit lose approximately 20 minutes of life expectancy for each cigarette.
“This is time that would likely be spent in relatively good health.
“The sooner smokers get off this escalator of death the longer and healthier they can expect their lives to be.”
Dr Sarah Jackson, of the UCL Alcohol and Tobacco Research Group, said: “The sooner a person stops smoking, the longer they live.”
