The Benefits of Quitting Smoking
Benefits of quitting
Compared to smokers your stroke risk is reduced to that of a person who never smoked after 5 to 15 years of not smoking.
- Cancers of the mouth, throat, and esophagus risks have halved 5 years after quitting.
- Cancer of the larynx is reduced after quitting.
- Coronary heart disease risk is cut by half 1 year after quitting and is nearly the same as someone who never smoked 15 years after quitting.
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease risk of death is reduced after you quit.
- Lung cancer risk drops by as much as half 10 years after quitting.
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Up to 8 hours |
Nicotine and carbon monoxide levels in the blood are halved, oxygen levels in the blood return to normal. |
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Up to 24 hours |
Carbon monoxide is eliminated from the body and the lungs start to clear out the build up of tar. |
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Up to 48 hours |
There is no nicotine left in the body. Taste and smell are greatly improved. |
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Up to 72 hours |
Breathing becomes easier, bronchial tubes begin to relax, energy levels increase. |
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2 - 12 Weeks |
Circulation improves, making walking and running a lot easier. |
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2 - 9 |
Coughs, wheezing and breathing problems improve as the lungs have room for up to 10% more oxygen. |
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1 Year |
Risk of heart attack is halved. |
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10 years |
Risk of lung cancer is halved |
And there’s more......
There are more than 4000 chemicals in cigarette smoke, that’s more than what comes out of your car exhaust.
Tobacco use kills around 114,000 people in the UK every year, more than 300 every day - as if a plane crashed every day and killed all its passengers, around 20% of all deaths.
About half of all regular cigarette smokers will eventually be killed by their habit.
Smoking causes at least 80% of all deaths from lung cancer, around 80% of all deaths from bronchitis and emphysema and around 17% of all deaths from heart disease.
Smokers who smoke between 1 and 14 cigarettes a day have eight times the risk of dying from lung cancer compared to non-smokers. Smokers who smoke more than 25 cigarettes a day have 25 times this risk compared to non-smokers.
Cigarette smoking increases the risk of having a heart attack by two or three times, compared with the risk to non-smokers.
Smoking has been associated with increased sperm abnormalities and is a cause of impotence.
Money saved from giving up smoking (based on a £5 packet smoking 20 per day)
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1 Month |
1 Year |
5 Years |
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Saving |
Saving |
Saving |
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£150 |
£1800 |
£9000 |