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SO What happenS iF i quit?
This is really the big question. It's all very well knowing that smoking is bad for you, but can the damage be
reversed? The good news is that much of it can.
Here'S Some of wHat HappenS wHen you quit tHe Habit:
• Within 20 minutes after quitting, blood pressure and heart rate decrease
• Within 12 hours, carbon monoxide levels in the blood decrease to normal
• Within 48 hours, nerve endings and sense of smell and taste both start recovering
• Within 3 months, circulation and lung function improve
• Within 9 months, there are decreases in cough and shortness of breath
• Within 1 year, the risk of coronary heart disease is cut in half
• Within 5 years, the risk of stroke falls to the same as a non-smoker, and the risks of many
• cancers (mouth, throat, oesophagus, bladder, cervix) decrease significantly
• Within 10 years, the risk of dying from lung cancer is cut in half, and the risks of larynx and
• pancreas cancers decrease
• Within 15 years, the risk of coronary heart disease drops to the level of a non-smoker
perHapS moSt importantly, and Simply: when you smoke you are continually damaging your health.
aS Soon aS you Stop, tHe damage StopS. It is quite literally about quitting while you're ahead!
over tHe following weekS we will take you through more key information and practical advice on quitting
smoking. For now, please just focus your thinking on the damage being done, and
the huge benefits you can enjoy by quitting.
