Years ago, people didn’t know the effects of smoking, but today, excuses like, "I didn’t know what would happen to me," are inexcusable. The high health risks that go along with being a pack-a-day smoker are enormous; everybody should know that.

What some people don’t know is that almost immediately after quitting—within 20 minutes—a person’s health and life expectancy increases, says a report from About.com. The report tracks the amount of time spent off of cigarettes, and shows the health benefits that the ex-smoker obtains as a result.

Within 20 minutes:

Blood pressure drops to normal.

Pulse rate returns to normal.

Body temperature of hands and feet increases to normal.

Within eight hours:

Carbon monoxide levels in blood drop to normal.

Oxygen level in blood increases to normal.

Smoker's breath disappears.

Within 24 hours:

Heart attack risk decreases.

Within 48 hours:

Nerve endings start to re-grow.

Ability to smell and taste is enhanced.

Within 72 hours:

Bronchial tubes relax, making it easier to breathe.

Lung capacity increases, making it easier to do physical activities.

Within two weeks to three months:

Circulation improves.

Walking becomes easier.

Lung function increases up to 30 percent.

Within one to nine months:

Coughing, sinus congestion, fatigue and shortness of breath decrease.

Body's overall energy level increases.

Cilia re-grow in lungs, increasing the ability to handle mucus, clean lungs and reduce infection.

Within one year:

Risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a smoker.

Within two years:

Heart attack risk drops to near normal.

Within five years:

Lung cancer death rate for average pack-a-day smoker decreases by almost half.

Stroke risk is reduced.

Risk of mouth, throat and esophageal cancer is half that of a smoker.

Within 10 years:

Lung cancer death rate is similar to that of a person who does not smoke.

Pre-cancerous cells are replaced.

Within 15 years:

Risk of coronary heart disease is the same as a person who has never smoked.

If one can go for 20 minutes without smoking, they’re already on the way to leading a healthy lifestyle. The decisions that someone made yesterday will inevitably affect his or her life tomorrow, so why not take the first step? In fifteen years, you can either be completely free of an addiction that, for some people, lasts a lifetime, or you can be stuck with a crutch that you may never rid yourself of.

-Return to October 2002 Issue-