Changes Your Body Goes Through
When You Quit Smoking

Within 20 minutes of last cigarette:
▪ Blood pressure and pulse rate begin to return to normal
▪ Circulation to hands and feet improves
▪ Fibers in the bronchial tubes begin to move again, removing irritants and bacteria

8 hours:
▪ Carbon monoxide level in the blood drops to normal
▪ Oxygen level in the blood increases to normal

24 hours:
▪ Risk for heart attack decreases

48 hours:
▪ Nerve endings begin to regrow

72 hours:
▪ Bronchial tubes relax, making breathing easier
▪ Lung capacity starts increasing

2 weeks to 2 months:
▪ Circulation improves
▪ Walking becomes easier
▪ Lung function increases up to 30%

1 to 9 months:
▪ Body’s overall energy level increases
▪ Coughing, sinus congestion, fatigue and shortness of breath decrease
▪ Fibers in bronchial tubes regrow, increasing the ability to handle mucus, clean lungs, and reduce infection

3 to 5 years:
▪ Risk of dying of heart attack decreases to that of a nonsmoker

10 years:
▪ Risk of dying of lung cancer decreases to that of a nonsmoker
▪ Pre-cancerous cells are replaced with healthy cells
▪ Other cancer occurrences, such as those of the mouth, larynx, esophagus, bladder, kidney and
pancreas, decrease.  (There are at least 30 chemicals in tobacco smoke that cause cancer.)

All benefits are lost when you smoke even one cigarette a day!

Source: American Cancer Society

This information is provided by the University of Michigan Health System, Tobacco Consultation Service
Copyright © 2005 Regents of the University of Michigan