Smoking has a negative impact on life expectancy. If a man smokes more than ten cigarettes a day, he loses a full 9.4 years of life expectancy, and a woman loses 7.3 years.
Even moderate consumption of less than 10 cigarettes per day still reduces life expectancy by around five years for both sexes. Britain is currently discussing a regulation that should stop younger people from smoking. The proposed law would increase the minimum age for purchasing tobacco by one year each year. The current age limit is at least 18 years. The risk of developing lung cancer is up to twenty times higher for smokers than for people who don't smoke. It has also been proven that the risk of diseases such as diabetes, arteriosclerosis, and cancer increases. With the right individual strategy and a little perseverance, the path to a smoke-free life is possible. To overcome addiction, various measures can be tried. For confidential support, call the Samaritans in the UK on 08457 90 90 90 90, visit a local Samaritans branch or click here for details.