Benefits of quitting
When you quit smoking you will feel immediate benefits as your body starts to repair itself.
|
Time since last cigarette |
Benefits |
|
20 minutes |
Heart rate drops |
|
12 hours |
Blood levels of carbon monoxide drop dramatically |
|
72 hours |
Sense of taste and smell improve. Circulation improves |
|
2 weeks - 3 months |
Heart attack risk begins to drop, lung function improves |
|
1 - 9 months |
Coughing and shortness of breath decrease |
|
1 year |
Risk of coronary heart disease is halved after one year compared to continuing smokers |
|
5 years |
Stroke risk is reduced to that of a non-smoker 5-15 years after quitting. Risk of cancers of the mouth, throat, oesophagus decreases. |
|
10 years |
Risk of lung cancer death is about half that of a continuing smoker and continues to decline. Risk of cancers of the bladder, kidney and pancreas decreases. |
|
15 years |
Risk of coronary heart disease is the same as a non-smoker. The all-cause mortality in former smokers declines to the same level as people who have never smoked. |
Source: Adapted from Zwar et al
When you stop smoking, you reduce your risk of getting cancers of the:
- mouth
- throat
- oesophagus
- bladder
- kidney
- pancreas
Your body also starts working better because your immune system gets stronger and helps your body fight infection and disease. There are some diseases that are irreversible – like emphysema, which destroys air sacs in your lungs. But if you stop smoking in time, you can avoid it.
Other benefits of quitting include:
- appearance of skin improves
- fitness improves
- quitting smoking at any stage during pregnancy has immediate benefits. Quitting will reduce the risk of pregnancy complications and also reduce risks to your baby’s health and development
- If you usually spend $10 a day on cigarettes and save this instead, you can save $3,650 a year. That’s an overseas holiday, extra paid off your mortgage or one fabulous shopping spree! If you saved at this rate for five years, you’d have nearly $20,000 to spend.