Reasons to Stop Smoking

Your blood pressure drops to a level close to that before the last cigarette. The temperature of your hands and feet increases to normal.

(US Surgeon General´s Report, 1988, pp. 39, 202)

8 hours after quitting: The carbon monoxide level in your blood drops to normal.

(US Surgeon General´s Report, 1988, p. 202)

24 hours after quitting: Your chance of a heart attack decreases.

(US Surgeon General´s Report, 1988, p. 202)

2 weeks to 3 months after quitting: Your circulation improves and your lung function increases up to 30%. (US Surgeon General´s Report, 1990, pp.193, 194, 196, 285, 323)

1 to 9 months after quitting: Coughing, sinus congestion, fatigue, and shortness of breath decrease; cilia (tiny hair like structures that move mucus out of the lungs) regain normal function in the lungs, increasing the ability to handle mucus, clean the lungs, and reduce infection.

(US Surgeon General´s Report, 1990, pp. 304, 307, 319, 322)

1 year after quitting: The excess risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a smoker´s.

(US Surgeon General´s Report, 1990, p. vi)

5 years after quitting: Your stroke risk is reduced to that of a nonsmoker 5-15 years after quitting.

(US Surgeon General´s Report, 1990, p.79)

10 years after quitting: The lung cancer death rate is about half that of a continuing smoker´s. The risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney, and pancreas decreases.

(US Surgeon General´s Report, 1990, p.110, 147, 152, 155, 159,172)

15 years after quitting: The risk of coronary heart disease is that of a nonsmoker´s.

(US Surgeon General´s Report, 1990, p.79)

*Statistics provided by The American Cancer Society