8 Good Things That Begin To Happen Right After You Quit Smoking

Within 20 minutes after you quit smoking some real nice things begin to happen to your body and they continue for years.

These are testament to the incredible resilience of the body that you are treating so poorly by sucking in some 6,000 chemicals every time you smoke. (I sound just like an obnoxious ex-smoker, don't I?)

1. 20 Minutes After Quitting - Your heart rate drops.
2. 12 hours After Quitting - Carbon monoxide level in your blood drops to normal.
3. 2 Weeks to 3 Months After Quitting - Your heart attack risk begins to drop. Your lung function begins to improve.
4. 1 to 9 Months After Quitting - Your coughing and shortness of breath decrease.
5. 1 Year After Quitting - Your added risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a smoker’s.
6. 5 Years After Quitting - Your stroke risk is reduced to that of a nonsmoker’s 5-15 years after quitting.
7. 10 Years After Quitting - Your lung cancer death rate is about half that of a smoker’s. Your risk of cancers of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney, and pancreas decreases.
8. 15 Years After Quitting - Your risk of coronary heart disease is back to that of a nonsmoker’s.

Note: this info comes from the: 2004 Surgeon General’s Report—The Health Consequences of Smoking

These, of course, are in addition to the less publicized but equally important benefits, namely: fresher breath, whiter teeth, improved golf game, more/better sex, admiration of friends and family and a raise at work. There are plenty more, trust me, but I’ll leave you with the joy of discovery after you become a non-smoker.

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