Smoking Cessation

The health benefits of quitting begin soon after the last cigarette and continue over time. The timing and extent of these changes can vary between individuals.

• Within 20 minutes of having your last cigarette your heart rate and blood pressure drop.
• After 12 hours of quitting smoking the carbon monoxide level in your blood drops to normal.
• 2-12 weeks after giving up smoking your circulation improves and your lung function increases.
• After 1-9 months – coughing and shortness of breath decrease.
• 1 year later – your risk of coronary heart disease is about half that of a smoker’s.
• 5 years of being smoke-free reduces your risk of stroke to that of a nonsmoker (5 to 15 years after quitting).
• 10 years after quitting your risk of lung cancer falls to about half that of a smoker and your risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, cervix, and pancreas decreases.
• After 15 years of quitting smoking the risk of coronary heart disease is that of a nonsmoker’s.
• Quitting smoking decreases the excess risk of many diseases related to secon-hand smoke in children.
• Quitting smoking also reduces the chances of impotence, or difficulty getting pregnant, having premature births, or babies with low birth weights and even miscarriage.