TIP #20
Find ways to handle stressful situations without a "nicotine fix."

What happens after you quit smoking? The benefits of quitting smoking timeline:

20 MINUTES

  • Blood pressure drops to normal
  • Pulse rate drops to normal
  • Body temperature of hands and feet increases to normal

8 HOURS

  • Carbon monoxide level in blood drops to normal
  • Oxygen level in blood increases to normal

24 HOURS

  • Chance of heart attack decreases

48 HOURS

  • Nerve endings start regrowing
  • Ability to smell and taste is enhanced

2 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 lungs, increasing their ability to handle mucus, clean the lungs, and reduce infection
  • Body's overall energy increases

GETTING STARTED, HELP FIGHT NICOTINE CRAVINGS

1 YEAR

  • Excess risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a smoker

5 YEARS

  • Lung cancer death rate for an average former smoker (one pack a day) decreases by almost half
  • Stroke risk is reduced to that of a non-smoker five to 15 years after quitting
  • Risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, and esophagus is half that of a smoker's

10 YEARS

  • Lung cancer death rate is similar to that of a non-smoker
  • Precancerous cells are replaced
  • Risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney, cervix, and pancreas decreases

15 YEARS

  • Risk of coronary heart disease is that of a non-smoker
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