You are never too old to quit smoking. Stopping now will be one of the smartest and most beneficial decisions you will ever make. The benefits and effects when you decide to quit smoking will start as early as 20 MINUTES AFTER YOUR LAST CIGGARATE! It is never too late to Quit smoking.

Quitting to smoke will eventually make you feel physically better, increased levels of stamina, energy and self-esteem.

What happens after you Quit Smoking?

Quitting smoking means breaking the cycle of addiction and essentially rewiring the brain to stop craving nicotine. In order to adhere to it, you will need to have a good plan in place to beat the cravings and triggers.

Timeline

• After 1 hour

After 20 minutes if quitting your heart rate drops and returns to normal. Your blood pressure will stabilize and your blood circulation will start to improve.

• After 12 hours

After just 12 hours without a cigarette, your body will start to clean itself from the toxins and carbon monoxide from the cigarettes. This will help return your body’s oxygen level to normal.

• After 1 day

The risk of heart attack begins to decrease. In as little as 1 day after quitting smoking your blood pressure begins to drop, which helps to decrease the risk of heart disease from smoking-induced high blood pressure. Besides this, your oxygen levels will also rise, making physical activity and exercise easier to do.

• After 2 days

Smoking damages nerve endings which effect your senses of smell and taste. After 2 days of quitting, you may notice a heightened sense of smell and more vivid taste.

• After 3 days

After 3 days the nicotine in your body will be depleted. This initial depletion can cause nicotine withdrawal where you will experience moodiness and irritability, severe headaches, and cravings as the body readjusts.

• After 1 month

After 1 month, your lung function will begin to improve. As the lungs heal you may notice less coughing and shortness of breath. You may find it easier to do much more vigorous physical activities such as running and jumping.

• After 1-3 months

For the next months you will notice your circulation improving

• After 9 months

After 9 months your lungs have significantly improved and healed. The delicate, hair-like structures inside the lungs known as cilia have recovered from the toll cigarette smoke took on them. These structures help push mucus out of the lungs and help fight infections. You will notice a decrease in the frequency of lung infections because the healed cilia can do their job more easily.

• After 1 year

After 1 year of quitting smoking, your risk for coronary heart disease decreases by half. This risk will continue to drop after the 1-year mark.

• After 5 years

After 5 years without smoking, your body has healed itself enough for the arteries and blood vessels to begin to widen again. This widening means the blood is less likely to clot, lowering the risk of stroke. Your risk of stroke will continue to reduce over the next 10 years as the body heals more and more.

• After 10 years

After 10 years, your chances of developing lung cancer and dying from it are roughly cut in half compared with someone who continues to smoke. The likelihood of developing mouth, throat, or pancreatic cancer has significantly reduced.

• After 15 years

After 15 years of having quit smoking, the likelihood of developing coronary heart disease is the same as a non-smoker. Similarly, the risk of developing pancreatic cancer has reduced to the same level as a non-smoker.

• After 20 years

After 20 years, your risk of death from smoking-related causes, including both lung disease and cancer, drops to the level of a person who has never smoked in their life. Also, the risk of developing pancreatic cancer has reduced to that of someone who has never smoked.