Sobering experiment shows what really happens to our bodies after smoking just one cigarette

An experiment looking to the impact of just one cigarette on your lungs has revealed the shocking truth.

It's 2026 and by now, we all know that smoking isn't good for your lung health. However, just how bad it is isn't always black and white.

Per the NHS, long-term smoking has been known to contribute to health issues like high blood pressure, heart disease, heartburn, ulcers, liver problems, a higher risk of Crohn's disease, and more.

So, considering that the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics show that around 5.3 million Brits smoke as of 2024, and many also swap out their cigarettes for a vape, there's a lot that's happening in people's bodies.

Now that we're drawing close to the government's annual stop smoking campaign Stoptober, if you want to give yourself a nudge in the right direction to be able to quit - there's a video for you.

Uploaded to YouTube by Chris Notap - who also conducted a smoking vs vaping experiment - the video recreates a human lung with a modified soda bottle, water and some cotton bud and reveals the amount of toxins you breathe into your lungs every time you light up.

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.

After 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.

Again, cotton wool isn't a direct comparison to lung tissue, but it's still pretty grim to think the very same gunk lingering around in respiratory tissue.

"Well the bottom line is, smoking is bad for you," Notap summarised 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."

Of course this isn't groundbreaking advice, as the majority of people who smoke will be aware of the side-effects, but having evidence presented to you in a visual manner can often be more helpful than blanket phrases such as 'smoking = bad'.