What Happens In The Body When
A Person Stops Smoking?

• 20 minutes: Blood pressure drops to normal;    pulse rate drops to normal; body temperature
   of hands and feet increases to normal.

• 8 hours: Carbon-monoxide blood level drops
   to normal; oxygen blood level increases.

• 24 hours: Chance of heart attack begins
   to decrease.

• 1 to 3 months: Circulation improves; walking
   becomes easier; lung functions increase 30%.

• 3 to 9 months: Coughing, sinus, fatigue, and
    shortness of breath decrease; increased
    ability to "clean" lungs, reducing likelihood
    of infection; body's overall energy increases.

• 1 year: Added risk of coronary heart disease
   is now half that of a smoker.

• 5 years: Lung cancer death rate decreases
    by half.

• 15 years: You are no more at risk of heart
    disease than if you never smoked!

Click here to view sources for the above facts.

Benefits of a Tobacco-Free Lifestyle

“Quitting smoking has immediate as well as long-term benefits. Within minutes and hours after smokers inhale that last cigarette, their bodies begin a series of changes that continue for years. Among these health improvements are a drop in heart rate, improved circulation, and reduced risk of heart attack, lung cancer and stroke. By quitting smoking today a smoker can have many healthier tomorrows.”

Vice Admiral Richard H. Carmona, M.D., M.P.H, FACS
United States Surgeon General from "The Health Consequences of Smoking: A Report of the Surgeon General, 2004"

Click below to learn about some of the benefits of a
tobacco-free lifestyle.

Health Benefits

Secondhand Smoke

Cost of Smoking and Tobacco

Timeline of Events
After You Quit Smoking