Which cigarette of the day is the most dangerous for your health?

Everyone knows cigarettes are extremely bad for your health, but it turns out there is a time of day when it is even worse for your lungs than others…

Which cigarette of the day is the most dangerous for your health?
© Getty Images
Which cigarette of the day is the most dangerous for your health?

If you are a smoker, you must probably be fed up of being constantly told and reminded that smoking is bad for you.

Discover our latest podcast

You are probably reminded of this fact very often, both with shocking images on tobacco packages, but also because of the price, which is constantly burning a hole in the savings accounts of smokers all over the world.

An expensive addiction

The price is constantly on the rise, with the latest increase dating back to 11th March when the prices went up by 2%. That means that the average prices of cigarettes now range from £9 to £15, depending on the brand and this gradual increase is not expected to cease.

But we have another little fact for you now. A cigarette that is lit and smoked within 30 minutes of waking up is much more harmful and seems to expose you to cancer more easily than cigarettes you smoke at other times of the day. This study was conducted in 2011 by Pennsylvania State University, who published their findings in the Cancer journal.

The reason?

Your lungs absorb more particles and other chemicals in cigarettes at this time. An article written by Slate magazine explains:

In comparison to those who smoked more than an hour after waking up, those who smoked between 31 and 60 minutes after waking up were 1.31 times more likely to develop lung cancer. And those who smoked in the first 30 minutes were 1.79 times more likely.

This study really does make you think… As a result, we suggest waiting at least an hour before lighting your first cigarette, so as to save your lungs a little.

But we mustn’t forget that the other cigarettes you smoke will be just as carcinogenic. In case you weren’t aware, smoking is responsible for around 73,000 deaths, including 44,000 cancers every year and combined, cancer is still one of the leading causes of death in the UK.

This is the most dangerous time of day to smoke This is the most dangerous time of day to smoke