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Smoking & tobacco

Quitting smoking

Benefits of quitting smoking

Quitting smoking is the single best thing you can do to improve your health and quality of life. Non-smokers have a much lower risk of getting dozens of smoking-related diseases like lung cancer, heart disease, and COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, including emphysema and chronic bronchitis).

Here are some other good things that happen to your body once you stop smoking 1:

Within 8 hours

    carbon monoxide level drops in your body
    oxygen level in your blood increases to normal

Within 48 hours

    your chances of having a heart attack start to go down
    your sense of smell and taste begin to improve

Within 72 hours

    your bronchial tubes relax and make breathing easier
    your lung capacity increases

Within 2 weeks to 3 months

    your blood circulation improves
    your lung functioning increases up to 30 percent

Within 6 months

    your coughing, stuffy nose, tiredness and shortness of breath improve

Within 1 year

    your risk of smoking-related heart attack is cut in half

Within 10 years

Within 15 years

    your risk of dying from a heart attack is the same as a person who never smoked

There are many other good reasons to quit smoking:

  • You'll set a good example for your children
  • Your smoking will no longer affect the health of people around you
  • You'll have more money to save or to spend on other things - a pack of cigarettes a day adds up to more than $3000 a year!
  • You'll have more energy to do the things you love
  • You'll pay lower life insurance premiums
  • Cigarettes will no longer control your life

What are your reasons to quit smoking? Write them down and share them with friends and family or post them on the fridge.

References

1. Health Canada, Tobacco Control Program. On the Road to Quitting - Guide to Becoming a Non-Smoker.