The Good News

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From the American Lung Association website:

When smokers quit, within twenty minutes of smoking that last cigarette the body begins a series of changes.

At 20 minutes after quitting:

Blood pressure decreases

Pulse rate drops

Body temperature of hands and feet increases


At 8 hours:

Carbon monoxide level in blood drops to normal

Oxygen level in blood increases to normal


At 24 hours:

Chance of a heart attack decreases


At 48 hours:

Nerve endings start regrowing

Ability to smell and taste is enhanced


The first year after quitting:

At 2 weeks to 3 months:

Circulation improves

Walking becomes easier

Lung function increases


1 to 9 months:

Coughing, sinus congestion, fatigue, shortness of breath decreases


1 year:

Excess risk of coronary heart disease is decreased to half that of a smoker


Long-term Benefits of Quitting

At 5 years:

From 5 to 15 years after quitting, stroke risk is reduced to that of people who have never smoked.


At 10 years:

Risk of lung cancer drops to as little as one-half that of continuing smokers

Risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney, and pancreas decreases

Risk of ulcer decreases


At 15 years:

Risk of coronary heart disease is now similar to that of people who have never smoked

Risk of death returns to nearly the level of people who have never smoked