Benefits of Quitting
Studies show that there are many potential health benefits to quitting smoking for you and those around you. For most people, some benefits can begin as early as the first day. And for many, the benefits may continue to appear over time. Below are a few benefits that could be expected after quitting smoking.
Benefits Over Time
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20 Minutes
Your heart rate and blood pressure drop.
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12 Hours
The carbon monoxide level in your blood drops to normal.
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2-3 Weeks
Your circulation improves and your lung function increases.
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1-9 Months
Coughing and shortness of breath decrease; cilia (tiny hair-like structures that move mucus out of the lungs) start to regain normal function in the lungs, increasing the ability to handle mucus, clean the lungs, and reduce the risk of infection.
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1 Year
The excess risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a continuing smoker’s.
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1-5 Years
Risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, and bladder are cut in half. Cervical cancer risk falls to that of a non-smoker. Stroke risk can fall to that of a non-smoker after 2-5 years.
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10 Years
The risk of dying from lung cancer is about half that of a person who is still smoking. The risk of cancer of the larynx (voice box) and pancreas decreases.
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15 Years
The risk of coronary heart disease is that of a non-smoker’s.
Primary sources for this recovery benefits timetable are: (1) U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, The Health Consequences of Smoking: A Report of the Surgeon General, 2004; (2) Hughes, JR, Effects of abstinence from tobacco: valid symptoms and time course, Nicotine and Tobacco Research, March 2007, Volume 9(3), Pages 315-327; (3) O'Connell KA, et al, Coping in real time: using Ecological Momentary Assessment techniques to assess coping with the urge to smoke, Research in Nursing and Health, December 1998, Volume 21(6), Pages 487-497; and (4) Mamede M, et al, Temporal change in human nicotinic acetylcholine receptor after smoking cessation: 5IA SPECT study, Journal of Nuclear Medicine, November 2007, Volume 48(11), Pages 1829-1835.