|
|
| |
When Smokers Quit - What Are the Benefits Over Time?
20 minutes after quitting: Your blood pressure drops to a level close to that before the last cigarette. The temperature of your hands and feet increases to normal.
(US Surgeon General's Report,1988, pp. 39, 202)
8 hours after quitting: The carbon monoxide level in your blood drops to normal.
(US Surgeon General's Report,1988, p. 202)
24 hours after quitting: Your chance of a heart attack decreases.
(US Surgeon General's Report,1988, p. 202)
2 weeks to 3 months after quitting: Your circulation improves and your lung function increases up to 30%.
(US Surgeon General's Report, 1990, pp.193,194,196,285,323)
1 to 9 months after quitting: Coughing, sinus congestion, fatigue, and shortness of breath decrease; cilia (tiny hair like structures that move mucus out of the lungs) regain normal function in the lungs, increasing the ability to handle mucus, clean the lungs, and reduce infection.
(US Surgeon General's Report, 1990, pp. 304, 307, 319, 322)
1 year after quitting: The excess risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a smoker's.
(US Surgeon General's Report, 1990, p. vi)
5 years after quitting: Your stroke risk is reduced to that of a nonsmoker 5-15 years after quitting.
(US Surgeon General's Report, 1990, p.79)
10 years after quitting: The lung cancer death rate is about half that of a continuing smoker's. The risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney, and pancreas decrease.
(US Surgeon General's Report, 1990, p.110, 147, 152, 155, 159,172)
15 years after quitting: The risk of coronary heart disease is that of a nonsmoker's.
(US Surgeon General's Report, 1990, p.79)
Visible and Immediate Rewards of Quitting
Quitting helps stop the damaging effects of tobacco on your appearance including:
- premature wrinkling of the skin
- bad breath
- stained teeth
- gum disease
- bad smelling clothes and hair
- yellow fingernails
Kicking the tobacco habit also offers benefits that you'll notice immediately and some that will develop gradually in the first few weeks. These rewards can improve your day-to-day life substantially:
- Food tastes better.
- Sense of smell returns to normal.
- Ordinary activities no longer leave you out of breath (climbing stairs, light housework, etcetera.)
The prospect of better health is a major reason for quitting, but there are others as well. Smoking is expensive. The economic costs of smoking are estimated to be about $3,391 per smoker per year. Do you really want to continue burning up your money with nothing to show for it except possible health problems?
|
|
 |
|
|
