Never too Late to Quit

Recently I went to a meeting at BC Centre of Excellence for Women’s Health. We discussed a project of a holistic approach to help women quit smoking. In their brochure, I was delighted to find they have adapted very convincing stats which is a very positive and interesting approach –  you know how sometimes people can motivate you to quit by giving you scary facts and making you fearful.

So don’t ever think it’s too late to quit smoking. Remember, your body will forgive you no matter how long you’ve been at it. Here’s the “Your Body Will Forgive You” from Catching your Breath: A Journal About Change for Women Who Smoke by Deborah Holmberg-Schwartz (1997) and The Health Consequences of Smoking: A Report of the Surgeon General by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2004.

30 minutes after you quit: blood pressure, heart rate and temperature of hands and feet become normal.
12 hours after you quit: carbon monoxide and oxygen levels in the blood return to normal.
48 hours after you quit: your sense of taste and smell start to return to normal levels
72 hours after you quit: bronchial tubes relax and breathing is easier
1 week after you quit: nicotine is flushed from your body
2 weeks after you quit: circulation, breathing, and lung function improve
1 month after you quit: coughing, sinus congestion and shortness of breath decrease
2 years after you quit: risk of heart attack drops to that of a woman who has never smoked
5 years after you quit: risk of stroke drops to normal; risk of lung cancer decreases by half
10 years after you quit: risk of most types of cancer drops to normal
20 years after you quit: risk of dying due to smoking- related causes is similar to that of women who have never smoked!