QUIT SMOKING

Besides the hundreds of non-health reasons to quit smoking, there are many health benefits to quitting smoking. If you're looking for some good health reasons to stop smoking now, these are just a few of the many health reasons to look for when you quit that will help you reverse the effects of smoking.

To start with - just 20 minutes after you quit smoking your tired lungs and airways will begin to heal. Circulation will improve immediately and your blood pressure and pulse will return to normal.

After eight hours the nicotine levels in your blood are reduced by 50%, and your oxygen levels will return to normal.

After 12 hours carbon monoxide levels in your blood will drop to normal.

After 24 hours your lungs will begin to clear out mucus and smoking debris.

After 48 hours your body will be free of all the nicotine and your sense of taste and smell will improve greatly.

After 72 hours your bronchial tubes will relax, allowing you to breathe much easier and you'll find you have more energy.

After two to 12 weeks your blood circulation continues to improve.

After three months heart attack risk starts to fall while lung function starts to improve.

After three to nine months after quitting smoking, your coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath and other breathing difficulties begin to improve.

After one to five years your chance of experiencing a heart attack drops by about half that of a smoker.

After ten years your chance of developing lung cancer drops by about half and your chance of experiencing a heart attack is the same as someone who has never smoked.

After 15 years the risk of stroke and heart disease is similar to a nonsmoker.

None of this will get rid of all the risks. Even decades after quitting smoking people who once smoked have higher risks of dying from diseases that block breathing channels such as emphysema. Smokers and former smokers are much more likely to die of cancers of the head, neck, throat, lungs and the bladder than non-smokers.

It's never ever too late to quit. No matter what your age you can reduce your risk of dying of smoking-related diseases by 50% if you quit smoking now. Focus on these health benefits can help and use them as your natural stop smoking aids. Whether you quit 'cold turkey' or not, try not to use stop smoking pills, hypnosis, magnets, gum or patches. You'll feel the results fast. Make smoking cessation your goal now, YOU CAN DO IT! Thousands before you have done it too!