Health

Health benefits of quitting

When you quit, your body starts to heal itself almost immediately. After 20 minutes, your blood pressure and pulse rate return to normal. After only 8 hours, you'll be breathing noticeably easier. After a day, your lungs start clearing themselves out. And it just gets better from there.

20 Minutes
20 minutes after your last cigarette
  • Blood pressure drops to normal.
  • Pulse rate drops to normal.
  • Body temperature of hands and feet increases to normal.
8 Hours
8 Hours
  • Carbon dioxide levels in the blood drop to normal.
  • Oxygen level in blood increases to normal.
24 Hours
24 Hours
  • Chance of heart attack decreases.
48 Hours
48 Hours
  • Nerve endings start re-growing.
  • Ability to smell and taste is enhanced.
2-3 Weeks
2-3 Weeks
  • Circulation improves.
  • Walking becomes easier.
  • Lung function increases up to 30%.
1-9 Months
1-9 Months
  • A decrease in coughing, sinus congestion, fatigue, and shortness of breath.
  • Cilia regrowth in lungs, increasing their ability to clean the lungs, reduce infection, and handle mucus.
  • Body’s overall energy increases.
1 Year
1 Year
  • Excess risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a smoker.
5 Years
5 Years
  • Lung cancer death rate for an average one-pack-a-day former smoker decreases by almost half.
  • Stroke risk is reduced to that of a nonsmoker 5-15 years after quitting.
  • Risk of cancer of the mouth, throat and esophagus is cut in half.
10 Years
10 Years
  • Lung cancer death rate is similar to that of nonsmokers.
  • Precancerous cells are replaced.
  • Risk of mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney and pancreas cancers decrease.
15 Years
15 Years
  • Risk of coronary heart disease is now that of a non-smoker.