A new study has revealed how much one cigarette can shave off your lifespan and an experiment has revealed what it actually does to your lungs.
The bad habit became 'cool' in the 20th century, but as we have become more aware and knowledgable on the health effects of smoking, the number of smokers has decreased worldwide.
Following Australia's impending ban of tobacco, making it illegal for those under a certain age to ever buy the substance, the UK have followed suit, with the Tobacco and Vapes Bill coming into effect.
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Though it was initially believed that smoking a cig took 11 minutes off your life, a new study from The University College London revealed that the average is nearer to 20 minutes, almost double the figure.
It comes to 17 minutes per cig for men, and 22 minutes for women, meaning that you can shorten your life by almost four hours if you smoke a whole box.
This also increases the health risks, such as decreasing lung capacity, increasing the risk of cancer and heart attack, and increasing chances of stroke.
The near instant effects of quitting can't be underestimated, as a day of your life can be recovered if you were to stop for a week, while a whole year would give you 50 days back.
Now, a YouTube video has revealed what happens to your lungs when you smoke just one cigarette.
Uploaded by Chris Notap, the video shows the human lung as a soda bottle with some water and cotton buds, showing how many toxins you breathe into your lungs when you smoke.
After assembling his experiment, Notap lights a cigarette and lets it burn while slowly letting water out of the bottle - to simulate exhaling - and waits as the smoke fills up his makeshift lung.
Once the cigarette is finished burning, Notap then simulates exhalation by refilling the bottle from the bottom and expelling the lingering smoke.
Granted, you're not holding smoke in your lungs as long as Notap's experiment does, but the final result is pretty grim.
After removing the cotton bud stuffed into the neck of the bottle, we see how the previously pristine white ball is now discoloured and yellow from the toxins inhaled.
Of course, cotton wool isn't a direct comparison to lung tissue, but it's still pretty gross to think the very same gunk lingering around in respiratory tissue.
"Well the bottom line is, smoking is bad for you," Notap explained at the end of his video.
"You're only meant to have one thing going in [your lungs] and that's air.
"Why would you want to introduce smoke into something that gives you life and helps you thrive."
While some people might be looking to trade their cigarettes for vapes, they may be a good alternative for smokers, but they too can cause problems in the long run.
Joshua Nair