Valentine's 2008

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The Rewards of Quitting—What Will Happen to Your Body Over the Next Year?

No matter how long you have used tobacco, the benefits of kicking the habit begin just minutes after you stomp out your last cigarette or spit out that dip or chew. It’s now time for your body to heal!

20 minutes after quitting:

• Blood pressure and pulse drop to a normal rate.
• Temperature of hands and feet rises to normal.

8 hours after quitting:

• Carbon monoxide levels in the blood decrease.
• The normal, healthy balance of oxygen and carbon monoxide returns.
• Mucus clears out of the lungs.

24 hours after quitting:

• The chance of having and dying from a heart attack goes down.

48 hours after quitting:

• Sense of smell and taste begins to return.
• Nerve endings start growing back.

2–12 weeks after quitting:

• Circulation (blood flow) improves.
• Breathing is easier.
• Walking or running get faster and easier.

1–9 months after quitting:

• Respiratory problems (coughing, sinus congestion, shortness of breath) have started to fade.
• Cilia (hairlike structures in the lungs) start working normally again and can prevent the lungs from infection.
• Tire less easily.

1 year after quitting:

• The risk of heart disease is half that of a current smoker.