When you quit smoking, the health benefits begin within minutes of your last cigarette.
According to the Surgeon General, physical improvements in your body begin within the first hour of smoking cessation.
Every day that you stay smoke-free, you’ll build up even more positive effects.
Brand X Pictures/Stockbyte/Getty Images
At a Glance
Quitting smoking can be challenging, but the benefits are well worth the effort.
Smoking poses significant health risks, but your body begins to repair itself within an hour of quitting.
By the end of the first day, your risk of having a heart attack begins to drop.
After 12 Hours
Cigarettes contain thousands of different chemicals, including carbon monoxide (CO).
This means that your chance of having aheart attackdecreases.
By day two of being smoke-free, these nerves will start to repair themselves.
Your sense of smell and taste improves as your nerve endings start to heal.
You may notice that the air smells fresher and food tastes better within a couple days of quitting.
That’s a lot of improvement for just 48 hours of smoking cessation.
The Immediate Benefits of Quitting
Thechemicals in cigarettesaffect you in more ways than you realize.
Best of all, this is just the beginning.
you’re able to look forward to many additional improvements in the days and months to come.
The benefits of quitting smoking continue to build the longer you stick with it.
Making the Decision to Quit
It takes courage to put down thatlast cigarette.
Most people feel an intense combination of fear and excitement leading up to their quit date.
Feelingafraid to quit smokingis completely normal and is a by-product ofnicotine addiction.
Don’t let that fear paralyze you.
Pick your quit date and stick to it.
Logically, you knew better, but addiction can make peoplerationalize and justifyall kinds of crazy notions.
It’s a vicious, never-ending cycle.
That is an addiction, not enjoyment.
Most people want to stop long before they are actually able to quit.
Support is a key ingredient to a solid quit-smoking program.
Keep in Mind
Remember thatquitting tobacco is a process.
Your life will improve a thousandfold when you have kicked tobacco out, once and for all.
You’ll have even more benefits fromtwo weekstothree months of quitting.
American Cancer Society.Health benefits of quitting smoking over time.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Benefits of quitting.
National Cancer Institute.Handling nicotine withdrawal and triggers when you decide to quit tobacco.
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.What is coronary heart disease?
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Within 20 minutes of quitting poster.
American Lung Association.How smoking impacts your lung health.
Wadgave U, Nagesh L.Nicotine replacement therapy: an overview.Int J Health Sci (Qassim).
2016;10(3):425-435.
2014;179(4):403-412. doi:10.1093/aje/kwt335
