The Benefits of Quitting Smoking

 











As well as reducing the risk of getting a smoking related illness, there are other benefits to quitting smoking. Toxic substances in tobacco smoke travel throughout the body, causing damage in many different ways.  A person’s increased risk of contracting disease is directly proportional to the length of time that a person continues to smoke as well as the amount smoked. However, if someone stops smoking, then these chances gradually decrease as the damage to their body is repaired.

* Change after quitting smoking:

When smokers quit, within twenty minutes of smoking that last cigarette the body begins a series of changes.

            After one day:

-         Nicotine levels down

-         Carbon Monoxide levels reduced

-         Blood pressure is lowered

            After one week:

-         Breathing easier

-         Most withdrawal symptoms disappear

            After one month:

-         Lung function improves

-         Risk of infections reduced

            After one year:

-         Risk of heart disease and cancer is half that of a smoker

            After three years:

-         Risk of heart disease and cancer becomes same as non-smoker

            After ten years:

-         Lung cancer goes down by one half

            After fifteen years:

-         Risk of smoking related diseases becomes same as non smoker

In addition if people have a chronic illness like diabetes, asthma, stomach ulcer, hyperte3nsion or heart disease, quitting can dramatically improve their health.

Immediate benefits of quitting smoking:

Quitting smoking offers some immediate benefits that you’ll notice right away. These benefits can improve your day to day life a great deal.

-         Breath smells betters

-         Stained teeth get whiter

-         Bad Smelling clothes and hair go away

-         Yellow fingers and fingernails disappear

-         Food tastes better

-         Sense of smell returns to normal

-         Everyday activities become easier (Climbing stairs or light housework)

Other benefits of quitting smoking:

The prospect of better health is a major reason for quitting, but there are other reasons, too.

Cost:

Smoking is expensive. It isn’t hard to figure out how much a smoker spends on smoking: ask the patient to multiply the amount of money they spend on tobacco everyday by 365 day (days per year). The amount may surprise them. Now multiply that by the number of years they have been using tobacco and that amount will probably shock them.

Multiply the cost per year by 10 (for the upcoming 10 years) and ask themselves what they would rather do with that much money. And this doesn’t include other possible costs, such as higher costs for health care due to tobacco related problem.

Social acceptance:

Smoking is less socially acceptable now than it was in the past. Some workplaces, public buildings and transport are smoke free.

Friends may ask you not to smoke in their home or car

Health of others:

Smoking not only harms your health but it hurts the health of those around you.

Setting an example:

If you have children, you will probably want to set a good example for them. When asked, nearly all smokers say they don’t want their children to smoke, but children whose parents smoke are more likely to start smoking themselves. You can become a good role model for them by quitting smoking now.