Quitting Benefits

Smoking negatively affects every part of your body:

Immediately After Quitting

At 20 minutes after quitting:

• Blood pressure decreases
• Pulse rate drops

Body temperature of hands and feet increases

At 8 hours:

• Carbon monoxide level in blood drops to normal
• Oxygen level in blood increases to normal

At 24 hours:

• Chance of a heart attack decreases

At 48 hours:

• Nerve endings start re-growing
• Ability to smell and taste is enhanced

First Year After Quitting

At 2 weeks to 3 months:

• Circulation improves
• Walking becomes easier
• Lung function increases

1 to 9 months:

• Coughing, sinus congestion, fatigue, shortness of breath decreases

1 Year

• Excess risk of coronary heart disease is decreased to half that of a smoker

Long Term Benefits of Quitting

At 5 Years:

• From 5 to 15 years after quitting, stroke risk is reduced to that of people who have never smoked.

At 10 Years:

• Risk of lung cancer drops to as little as one-half that of continuing smokers
• Risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney and pancreas decreases
• Risk of ulcer decreases

At 15 years:

• Risk of coronary heart disease is now similar to that of people who have never smoked
• Risk of death returns to nearly the level of people who have never smoked

Source: American Lung Association, 2004