The Benefits of Quitting
According to the American Cancer Society, here are a few of the benefits of quitting.
Within:
20 Minutes
Within:
20 Minutes
Blood pressure decreases, and the pulse slows to its normal rate. Temperature in the hands and feet increases to normal.
8 Hours
Carbon monoxide level in the blood drops to normal, and oxygen level increases.
24 Hours
Breath, hair and body stop smelling like smoke. The chance of having a future heart attack starts decreasing.
48 Hours
Damaged nerve endings begin to recover. As a result, sense of taste and smell begin to improve.
72 Hours
The body is virtually free of nicotine. The bronchial tubes relax, making it easier to breathe.
2 Weeks to 2 Months
The lungs can hold more air. Exercise becomes easier. Circulation improves.
1 Month to 9 Months
Coughing, congestion, fatigue, and shortness of breath decrease. Cilia are better able to clean lungs and prevent infection. Overall energy increases.
1 Year
The risk of coronary heart disease is cut in half.
5 Years
The risk of having a stroke is reduced to that of a nonsmoker.
10 years
The risk of developing lung cancer is cut in half. The risk of other cancers decreases significantly.
15 years
The risk of coronary heart disease drops, usually to the level of a nonsmoker.
Source: http://tobaccofreeca.com/help_someone_else_quit.html
Quitting: What’s in it for me?
More Time and Money
Smoking eats away at both. By quitting, you may gain an extra hour each day or 15 full days each year to do something else. People who quit suddenly have more time to do things. Plus, think of all the money that would no longer go to cigarettes.
Fewer Distractions
Over time, the power of nicotine addiction becomes so strong that smoking is often the only thing on a person’s mind. The anticipation of the next cigarette or smoke break can be overbearing. Without that distraction, your focus can improve which may lead to even better grades.
Improved Physical Activity
If you are an active or athletic person, you may have noticed how smoking affects performance in sports and exercise. This is because the necessary oxygen in the blood is replaced by carbon monoxide, essentially starving the body for oxygen. The blood and body will heal over time, but only after quitting.
Sense of Accomplishment
Quitting smoking is one of the hardest things to do; therefore, it can be the greatest accomplishment of your life.
Source: “Quitting: What’s in it for me?” The Bacchus Network
Benefits of Quitting
- Smoking harms nearly every organ of the body, causing many diseases and reducing the health of smokers in general.
- Quitting smoking has immediate as well as long-term benefits, reducing risks for diseases caused by smoking and improving health in general.
- The list of diseases caused by smoking has been expanded to include abdominal aortic aneurysm, acute myeloid leukemia, cataract, cervical cancer, kidney cancer, pancreatic cancer, pneumonia, periodontitis, and stomach cancer. These are in addition to diseases previously known to be caused by smoking, including bladder, esophageal, laryngeal, lung, oral, and throat cancers; chronic lung diseases; coronary heart and cardiovascular diseases; as well as reproductive effects and sudden infant death syndrome.
