There’s no waiting around for the benefits of quitting
When you quit smoking, your body thanks you for it—immediately. And your body keeps thanking you hour-after-hour, day-after-day and year-after-year. Check out how your body reacts when you quit.
After just 20 minutes:
- Your blood pressure and pulse slow to normal rates.
- Blood circulation in your hands and feet improves.
After 8 hours:
- The carbon monoxide level in your blood returns to normal.
- The oxygen level in your blood increases.
After 24 hours:
- Your breath, hair and body stop smelling like cigarette smoke.
After 72 hours:
- Nicotine, the addictive substance in cigarettes, is out of your body.
After 1-3 weeks:
- Nerve endings that have been dulled by smoking are back in action.
- Your senses of taste and smell improve.
After 1-9 months:
- Your lungs can hold more air.
- Coughing, congestion, fatigue and shortness of breath decrease.
- Your cilia re-grow in your lungs, increasing your ability to fight off infections.
- Your overall body energy increases.
After 1 year:
- Your risk of coronary heart disease is reduced to only half that of a smoker’s.
After 5-15 years:
- Your risk of having a stroke is equal to that of a nonsmoker’s.
After 10 years:
- Your lung cancer death rate is about half that of a smoker’s.
- Your risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney and pancreas is reduced.
After 15 years:
- Your risk of coronary heart disease is down to that of a nonsmoker’s.