Health Benefits of Quitting Smoking

Thinking of quitting smoking? Here are some great health benefits that may help you get the ball rolling!

• Within 20 minutes after quitting, blood pressure and heart rate decrease
• Within 12 hours, carbon monoxide levels in the blood decrease to normal
• Within 48 hours, nerve endings and sense of smell and taste both start recovering
• Within 3 months, circulation and lung functions improve
• Within 9 months, there are decreases in cough and shortness of breath
• Within 1 year, the risk of coronary heart disease is cut in half
• Within 5 years, the risk of stroke falls to the same as a non-smoker, and the risks of many cancers (mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, cervix) decrease significantly
• Within 10 years, the risk of dying from lung cancer is cut in half, and the risks of larynx and pancreas cancers decrease
• Within 15 years, the risk of coronary heart disease drops to the level of a non-smoker; lowered risk for developing COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)