When You Quit… Smoking

Within 20 Minutes:

·         Blood pressure drops to normal

·         Pulse rate returns to normal

·         Body 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

·         Smoker's breath disappears

Within 24 Hours: Your chance of a heart attack decreases.

Within 48 Hours:

·         Nerve endings start to re-grow

·         Your ability to smell and taste is enhanced

Within 72 Hours:

·         Bronchial tubes relax making it easier to breathe.

·         Lung capacity increases making it easier to do physical activities

·         Within 2 weeks - 3 months:

·         Circulation improves

·         Walking becomes easier

·         Lung function increases up to 30 %

Within 1 - 9 months:

·         Coughing, sinus congestion, fatigue, shortness of breath decrease

·         Energy level increases

·         Cilia re-grow in lungs, increasing the ability to handle mucus, clean lungs, reduce infection

Within One Year: Risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a smoker

Within Two Years: Heart attack risk drops to near normal

Within 5 Years:

·         Lung cancer death rate for average pack-a-day smoker decreases by almost half

·         Stroke risk is reduced

·         Risk of mouth, throat and esophageal cancer is half than that of a smoker

Within 10 Years: The pre-cancerous cells are replaced.

Within 15 Years: Risk of coronary heart disease is same as a person who has never smoked.