What happens to your body when you quit smoking 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.
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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.
