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For decades the Surgeon General has reported the health risks linked to smoking. In 1990, the Surgeon General concluded:<\/p>\n When smokers quit \u2013 what are the benefits over time?<\/strong><\/p>\n 20 minutes after quitting<\/strong><\/p>\n Your heart rate and blood pressure drop.<\/p>\n 12 hours after quitting<\/strong><\/p>\n The carbon monoxide level in your blood drops to normal.<\/p>\n 2 weeks to 3 months after quitting<\/strong><\/p>\n Your circulation improves and your lung function increases.<\/p>\n 1 to 9 months after quitting<\/strong><\/p>\n Coughing and shortness of breath decrease; cilia (tiny hair-like structures that move mucus out of the lungs) start to regain normal function in the lungs, increasing the ability to handle mucus, clean the lungs, and reduce the risk of infection.<\/p>\n 1 year after quitting<\/strong><\/p>\n The excess risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a continuing smoker\u2019s.<\/p>\n 5 years after quitting<\/strong><\/p>\n Risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, and bladder are cut in half. Cervical cancer risk falls to that of a non-smoker. Stroke risk can fall to that of a non-smoker after 2-5 years.<\/p>\n 10 years after quitting<\/strong><\/p>\n The risk of dying from lung cancer is about half that of a person who is still smoking. The risk of cancer of the larynx (voice box) and pancreas decreases.<\/p>\n 15 years after quitting<\/strong><\/p>\n The risk of coronary heart disease is that of a non-smoker\u2019s.<\/p>\n These are just a few of the benefits of quitting smoking for good. Quitting smoking lowers the risk of diabetes, lets blood vessels work better, and helps the heart and lungs. Quitting while you are younger will reduce your health risks more, but quitting at any age can give back years of life that would be lost by continuing to smoke.<\/p>\n When my husband stopped finally stopped smoking for real, his chronic cough disappeared within weeks.\u00a0 Both of us realized that he had been coughing for years every morning and during the night and we had just gotten used to it!\u00a0 Now we both sleep better!<\/p>\n Don\u2019t forget to take my quick weekly quiz and claim your reward. Act now before they are all gone!<\/strong><\/p>\n![\"Quit-Smoking\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/03c4283.netsolhost.com\/member\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/Quit-Smoking.jpg\")
<\/a>No matter how old you are or how long you\u2019ve smoked, quitting can help you live longer and be healthier. People who stop smoking before age 50 cut their risk of dying in the next 15 years in half compared with those who keep smoking. Ex-smokers enjoy a higher quality of life \u2013 they have fewer illnesses like colds and the flu, lower rates of bronchitis and pneumonia, and feel healthier than people who still smoke.<\/p>\n\n