Smokers spend a year of their lives on breaks

 

Smokers spend a year of their lives on breaks

An average smoker wastes over a year of his or her working life on cigarette breaks and works an hour a day less than non-smoking colleagues, a study has found.

The study of 2,500 adults by Britain's market research company OnePoll.com found that four in five smokers did not cut down on breaks during the recession and that women spent longer outside than men.

Smokers take four 15-minute breaks daily - amounting to 445 days out of an average working life, Fox News reported.

"These statistics are bound to be annoying for employers," an official said. "It will also irritate non-smokers, who wouldn't get away with taking four 15-minute coffee breaks."

One in 10 smokers also admitted going outside for a chat without lighting up.