Today is The Great American Smokeout [1], sponsored by the American Cancer Society [2] (ACS). So if you are looking to quit smoking, today is the day!
There are amazing health benefits to giving up the smokes. Here are highlights [3] of the health improvement from the first 365 days of being smoke free.
- 20 minutes after quitting: Your heart rate and blood pressure drops.
- 12 hours after quitting: The carbon monoxide level in your blood drops to normal.
- 2 weeks to 3 months after quitting: Your circulation improves and your lung function increases.
- 1 to 9 months after quitting: Coughing and shortness of breath decrease; cilia (tiny hair-like structures that move mucus out of the lungs) regain normal function in the lungs, increasing the ability to handle mucus, clean the lungs, and reduce the risk of infection.
- 1 year after quitting: The excess risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a smoker's.
The ACS knows that quitting is difficult and they have created some great widgets for your computer desk top [4] to help. You can also find helpful resources at the Smokeout website [5].
If you need even more motivation to quit check out these reasons to quit smoking [6] and here are some tips to help you quit [7].
Source [8]