Benefits of Quitting

Quitting Has Some Major Benefits
Much of the damage caused by smoking is reversible, and the sooner you quit, the more chance your body has to repair itself. The longer you stay stopped, the greater your chance of avoiding a smoking-related disease. As soon as you stop smoking, your body begins to recover:

• After twelve hours almost all of the nicotine is out of your system.
• After twenty-four hours the level of carbon monoxide in your blood has dropped dramatically. You now have more oxygen in your bloodstream.
• After five days most nicotine by-products have gone.
• Within days your sense of taste and smell improves.
• Within a month your blood pressure returns to its normal level and more air is getting into your lungs.
• Within three months the blood flow to your hands and feet improves, and your lungs will be working better.
• After twelve months your increased risk of dying from heart disease is half that of a continuing smoker.

Confidence
Quitting smoking is a challenge.

Once you have quit, you will know you can succeed at a difficult job and take control of your life.

Quitting helps you believe in yourself so you can take on other challenges.

Appearance
Skin starved of oxygen by smoking becomes dry and grey. Wrinkles around the eyes and mouth develop much earlier, and the tar stains your teeth and fingers. Quit smoking and your hair and clothes smell cleaner and you'll look and feel healthier.

Save Money
Quitting smoking saves money that can be spent on other things. In a way, giving up smoking is like getting a pay rise, more than $2,500 a year if you smoke 20 cigarettes a day.

» Second-hand smoke