What happens to your body when you quit smoking

Within 20 minutes after you smoke that last cigarette, your body begins a series of changes that continue for years.

20 Minutes After Quitting: Your heart rate drops.
12 hours After Quitting: Carbon monoxide level in your blood drops to normal.
2 Weeks to 3 Months After Quitting: Your heart attack risk begins to drop.; Your lung function begins to improve.
1 to 9 Months After Quitting: Your Coughing and shortness of breath decrease.
1 Year After Quitting: Your added risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a smoker's.
5 Years After Quitting: Your stroke risk is reduced to that of a nonsmoker's 5-15 years after quitting.
10 Years After Quitting: Your lung cancer death rate is about half that of a smoker's.; Your risk of cancers of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney, and pancreas decreases.
15 Years After Quitting: Your risk of coronary heart disease is back to that of a nonsmoker's.

Borrowed from the CDC Tobacco Information and Prevention Source, accessed on May 12, 2005 at http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/sgr/sgr_2004/sgrposters.htm.