CAMAF Member Option Guides & Info

6 myth: I have sMoked for 20 years and the daMage has Been done. It's now too late to stop sMokIng fact: wrong! It is never too late to stop tobacco use. the time-line of quitting smoking shows the following health benefits: • 20 minutes after quitting - heart rate and blood pressure drops • 12 hours after quitting - the carbon monoxide level in your blood drops to normal • 2 weeks to 3 months after quitting - circulation improves and your lung function increases • 1 to 9 months after quitting - 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 remove mucus, clean the lungs, and reduce the risk of infection • 1 year after quitting - the excess risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a continuing smoker's • 5 years after quitting - risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, and bladder are cut in half; cervical cancer risk falls to that of a non- smoker • 10 years after quitting - 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 • 15 years after quitting - the risk of coronary heart disease is that of a non –smoker • 25 years after quitting - stroke risk can fall to that of a non-smoker myth: ChewIng toBaCCo, snuff, or sMokIng huBBly-BuBBly are safe alternatIves to the use of toBaCCo fact: wrong! there is nothing healthy about any tobacco product. they are all addictive and can cause cancers of the throat, mouth, lungs and are linked to various other cancers such as cancer of the cervix, breast and others. myth: I take antI-oxIdant suppleMents, I don't need to eat My reCoMMended fIve portIons of fruIt and vegetaBles a day fact: wrong! anti-oxidants - such as vitamins C and e, carotenoids and selenium - are known to fight cancer-causing free radicals in the body. free radicals come from environmental factors such as pollution and the sun and also from by-products of chemical reactions in the body.

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