Timetable to a new you

You will start to feel the benefits very soon after quitting. Here’s what you can expect once you have extinguished your last cigarette:

• 20 minutes– Your heart rate drops .
• 12 hours– Carbon monoxide levels in your blood return to normal.
• 24 hours– All carbon monoxide is gone from your body. Mucus and particles from smoking begin to clear themselves from your lungs.
• 2-3 months– Your heart attack risk begins to drop and your lung function begins to improve.
• 1-9 months– Your coughing and shortness of breath decrease.
• 1 year – Your added risk of coronary heart disease is now half that of a smoker’s.
• 5 years – Your stroke risk is reduced to that of a non-smoker 5-15 years after quitting.
• 10 years – Your lung cancer risk is about half that of a smoker’s. Your risk of cancers of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney and pancreas decreases.
• 15 years – Your risk of coronary heart disease is back at the same level as that of a non-smoker.