The Benefits of Smoking Cessation

Smoking causes 480,000 American deaths per year, and around 41,000 of those are due to secondhand smoke exposure. That means smokers are putting themselves at risk, but they are also risking the health of the people around them.

The decision to quit can save your life, and your body begins to benefit from quitting even faster than you might think.

More than 16 million people live with smoking-related diseases like heart disease, stroke, respiratory diseases, diabetes and cancer. In addition, smokers tend to live ten years less than nonsmokers. The toll smoking takes on health costs around $225 billion in direct medical care for adults annually.

Quitting is difficult, but consider the long-term health benefits.

The First 24 Hours

• Twenty minutes after your last cigarette, your heart rate, blood pressure and circulation improve.
• After 12 cigarette-free hours, carbon monoxide is eliminated from the body and oxygen levels are boosted.
• In 24 hours, your heart disease risk decreases.

Less Than One Year

• Two weeks to three months: Your circulatory and pulmonary function increases, which means your risk for suffering a heart attack drops.
• Less than nine months: Your lung function begins to normalize, you'll experience fewer annoying coughing spells and you won't be short of breath as quickly.
• At one year: Your risk for coronary heart disease (CHD) — the leading cause of death among men and women in America — is half what it would be if you had continued smoking.

One Year and Beyond

• Five years: You've halved your risk for bladder, esophageal, mouth and throat cancers. Your risk for cervical cancer and stroke can be equal to that of nonsmokers.
• Ten years: Compared to smokers, your risk of dying from lung cancer is half. You also have decreased risk for larynx and pancreatic cancer.
• Fifteen years: Your risk of CHD is equal to that of a nonsmoker.

The sooner you decide to quit, the better, but it's never too late. Stopping a habit in its tracks is unquestionably one of the hardest things you can attempt — but it is possible. Stamp out smoking effectively with some of these tips.

• Make a plan. Make a list of reasons why you're quitting. Remind yourself of these every day, even when you don't feel the urge to smoke.
• Get rid of it. Cigarettes, ashtrays, lighters and anything else that will remind you of smoking should go. Every time you look at an ashtray, you'll think of smoking, so there's no need to have one on your coffee table.
• Know the benefits. Reinforce your decision with the knowledge of why it's the right choice. Reference your list of why you're quitting. If health concerns aren't enough to maintain your resolve, consider this: If you smoke one pack per day, you spend thousands of dollars every year on cigarettes. What else could you do with that money?

For a more personalized conversation about smoking cessation, talk with your doctor.

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