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Smoking - Reasons to Stop Smoking Now

It is never too late to quit smoking. Studies show that if a person quits after 20 to 25 years of smoking, his or her chances of developing cancer are actually quite low. The body begins to correct damage caused by smoking in remarkable ways even within minutes of the last cigarette.

Within 20 minutes of your last cigarette:

  • Blood pressure drops to normal.
  • The pulse drops to its normal rate.
  • Body temperature of your hands and feet increases to normal.

8 Hours:
  • The carbon monoxide level in your blood drops to normal.
  • Oxygen level in your blood increases to normal.

24 Hours:
  • Chance of heart attack decreases

48 Hours:
  • Nerve endings start regrowing
  • Your ability to smell and to taste things is enhanced

72 Hours:
  • Bronchial tubes relax, making breathing easier

2 to 3 Weeks to 3 Months:
  • Circulation improves
  • Walking becomes easier
  • Lung function increases up to 30 percent

1 to 9 Months:
  • Coughing, sinus congestion, fatigue, and shortness of breath decrease
  • Cilia regrow in the lungs, increasing your ability to handle mucus, clean the lungs, and reduce infection
  • You body's overall energy level increases

5 Years:
  • The lung cancer death rate for the average smoker (one pack per day) decrease from 137 per 100,000 people to 72 per 100,000

10 Years:
  • The lunch cancer death rate for the average smoker drops to 12 deaths per 100,000 almost the rate of non-smokers
  • Precancerous cells are replaces by healthy cells
  • Risks for other cancers such as those of the mouth, larynx, esophagus, bladder, kidney, and pancreas decreases (There are 30 chemicals in tobacco smoke that cause cancer.)

Adapted from Freedom From Smoking Handout Book 1994, American Lung Association