Some Good Reasons to Stop Smoking

It's never too late to quit smoking. Studies show that if a person quits after 20 to 25 years of smoking his or her chances of developing cancer are actually quite low. The body begins to correct damage caused by smoking in remarkable ways, even within minutes of the last cigarette.

Within 20 minutes of your last cigarette:
• blood pressure drops to normal
• the pulse drops to its normal rate
• body temperature of hands and feet increase to normal

8 hours:
• the carbon monoxide level in blood drops to normal
• oxygen level in blood increases to normal

24 hours:
• chance of heart attack decreases

72 hours:
• bronchial tubes relax, making breathing easier

2 weeks to 3 months:
• circulation improves
• walking becomes easier
• lung function increases up to 30 percent

1 to 9 months:
• coughing, sinus congestion, fatigue; shortness of breath decreases
• overall energy level increases
• cilia grow in lungs, increasing ability to handle mucus, clean the lungs, and reduce infection

5 years:
• the lung cancer rate for the average smoker (one pack per day) decreases from 137 per 100,000 people to 72 per 100,000 people

10 years:
• the lung cancer rate for the average smoker drops to 2 deaths per 100,000, almost the rate of non-smokers
• precancerous cells are replaced by healthy cells risks of other cancers, such as those of the mouth, larynx, esophagus, bladder, kidney, and pancreas, decrease