When Smokers Quit
Just 20 minutes after you've smoked that last cigarette, your body begins an ongoing series of beneficial changes:
Within 20 Minutes
� Blood pressure drops to normal
� Pulse rate drops to normal
� Temperature of hands and feet increases to normal
Within 8 Hours
� Carbon-monoxide level in blood drops to normal
� Oxygen level in blood increases to normal
Within 48 Hours
� Your chance of heart attack starts to go down
. Nerve endings start regrowing
. Sense of smell and taste begin to improve
. Walking becomes easier
Within 72 Hours
� Bronchial tubes relax making breathing easier
� Lung capacity increases
Within 2 Weeks to 3 Months
� Circulation improves
� Lung function increases up to 30 percent
Within 6 Months
� Coughing, sinus congestion, fatigue, shortness of breath improve
� Cilia regrow in lungs, increasing ability to handle mucus, clean the lungs, reduce infection
Within 1 Year
� Risk of smoking-related heart disease is cut in half
Within 5 to 15 Years
. Stroke risk reduced to that of a non-smoker
Wiithin 10 Years
. Risk of dying from lung cancer is cut in half
. Risk of cancer of mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney and pancreas decreases
Within 15 Years
. Risk of coronary heart disease is equal to a person who never smoked
Just 20 minutes after you've smoked that last cigarette, your body begins an ongoing series of beneficial changes:
Within 20 Minutes
� Blood pressure drops to normal
� Pulse rate drops to normal
� Temperature of hands and feet increases to normal
Within 8 Hours
� Carbon-monoxide level in blood drops to normal
� Oxygen level in blood increases to normal
Within 48 Hours
� Your chance of heart attack starts to go down
. Nerve endings start regrowing
. Sense of smell and taste begin to improve
. Walking becomes easier
Within 72 Hours
� Bronchial tubes relax making breathing easier
� Lung capacity increases
Within 2 Weeks to 3 Months
� Circulation improves
� Lung function increases up to 30 percent
Within 6 Months
� Coughing, sinus congestion, fatigue, shortness of breath improve
� Cilia regrow in lungs, increasing ability to handle mucus, clean the lungs, reduce infection
Within 1 Year
� Risk of smoking-related heart disease is cut in half
Within 5 to 15 Years
. Stroke risk reduced to that of a non-smoker
Wiithin 10 Years
. Risk of dying from lung cancer is cut in half
. Risk of cancer of mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney and pancreas decreases
Within 15 Years
. Risk of coronary heart disease is equal to a person who never smoked
Sources: American Cancer Society, U.S. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention; Health Canada, On the Road to Quitting