Once you’ve smoked your last cigarette, the healing starts immediately!
Remember, it's never too late to quit smoking! From the moment you quit, your health will begin to improve. See how you will benefit:
Quitting Time Health Benefits
| 20 minutes | Blood pressure and pulse rate decrease |
| 8 hours | Oxygen level goes back to normal and carbon monoxide levels drop |
| 48 hours | Chances of having a heart attack decreases and sense of smell and taste start improving |
| 72 hours | Breathing will get easier as your bronchial tubes relax and lung capacity begins to increase |
| 2 wks to 3 mons. | Circulation improves, exercising becomes easier and lung capacity can increase by as much as 30% |
| 6 months | Improvements in coughing, sinus congestion, tiredness, shortness of breath and colds |
| 1 year | 50% reduction in risk of smoking-related heart attack |
| 5 years | Risk of having a stroke is now reduced to that of a non-smoker |
| 10 years | Risk of dying from lung cancer will decrease by half |
| 15 years | Risk of dying from a heart attack is the same as a person who has never smoked |
Impact on loved ones.....
In addition to the health benefits you will experience when you quit smoking, you will also have a positive impact on the loved ones around you. That is because even brief exposure to second-hand smoke is harmful:
- Breathing second-hand smoke can increase the risk of heart disease and lung cancer in non-smokers
- Even a little exposure can trigger respiratory symptoms in non-smokers, including coughing, phlegm, wheezing, and breathlessness, which is especially dangerous for those with asthma or other respiratory conditions
- Babies who breathe second-hand smoke are at a greater risk of dying from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and have weaker lungs than unexposed babies
- Children are also more likely to have lung problems, ear infections, and severe asthma from being around second-hand smoke
- Children who breathe second-hand smoke have a greater risk of getting bronchitis, pneumonia, chronic coughing and wheezing
- Kids with asthma get more frequent and severe attacks when exposed to second-hand smoke
- Continuing to smoke during pregnancy can lead to a higher risk of having a low birth weight baby, miscarriage, and birth complications
For more information on Pregnancy and tobacco use, go to Resources in the Healthcare Providers section.
Did you know that children with parents who smoke are almost twice as likely to start smoking than children whose parents do not smoke.
Other reasons for quitting.....
- You will have more money to spend
- You will feel more confident and in control of your life
- You will feel like a positive role model for friends and family
- You will have whiter teeth and fresher breath
- You will have healthier glowing skin and fewer wrinkles
- You will no longer smell of stale cigarette smoke
- You will enjoy the taste of food more
- You will improve your breathing and general fitness
What are your reasons?
Everyone has his or her own reasons for quitting. Make a list of your reasons to quit, including the costs and benefits of quitting, and keep it close at hand. When you feel like a cigarette, reach for your list to remind you why you want to stop. Go to calculate your savings for more good reasons to quit.
Most smokers want to quit. When you’re ready to try, our confidential QuitNow Services are here to help. Call QuitNow By Phone and register with QuitNow Online today.
