Of course we all know that smoking is bad for you... so we're going to do something different and start with the positive! When you quit smoking good things start happening almost immediately. Within 20 minutes of smoking your last cigarette, your blood pressure, pulse rate and the temperature of your hands and feet return to normal.
Within 8 hours, the oxygen level in your blood increases and your carbon monoxide level (you know, the same stuff that is in your car's exhaust fumes) begins to drop to zero... where it belongs. Within 24 hours, your risk of heart attack begins to drop. Within 2 days your nerve endings start to re-grow and your sense of taste and smell improve (and your clothes will smell better too!).
In about 3 days, breathing gets easier, and your lung capacity increases. Within 2 weeks to 3 months, your circulation gets better, lung capacity improves by up to 30% and exercising gets easier (now that's something to celebrate). Within 1 to 9 months lung cilia (hairs) re-grow, and coughing, sinus problems, and shortness of breath decrease.
And... almost immediately you'll begin saving money (one pack a day at $4 a pack is $1460 a year!), have more free time (former cigarette break time), be more socially acceptable (no more smoking in the rain) and have a wonderful sense of accomplishment! These are some pretty goods reasons not only to quit, but to celebrate! If you need some more convincing, we can tell you that the Surgeon General said that smoking is the number one preventable cause of illness and death in the United States, that it causes wrinkles, and that the head of the top U.S. drug enforcement agency has said that nicotine is even more addictive... than heroin.
If you'd like to read more, check out "What Actually Happens When You Smoke."
You can design your own personal quit smoking plan at Health Services. For an appointment with a clinician call x2823, or for an appointment with the health educator, call x2824.
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Last updated: April 7, 2006.
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