Quitting smoking at any age will result in major and immediate health benefits.
Giving up smoking will:
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Reduce the risk of getting sick from cancer or heart disease.
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Save you money.
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Stop your hair, skin and breath smelling of smoke.
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Improve your sense of taste and smell.
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Improve your fitness.
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Boost your confidence. Once you have quit, you will know you can succeed at a difficult job and take control of your life.
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Set a great example for the children around you.
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Free you from the constant craving for nicotine.
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You will feel some of the benefits immediately, and others after a few weeks.
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20 minutes
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• blood pressure drops to normal
• pulse rate drops to normal
• temperature of hands and feet increase to normal |
| 8 hours |
• carbon monoxide level in blood returns to normal
• oxygen level in blood returns to normal |
| 24 hours |
• the immediate risk of heart attack starts to fall |
| 48 hours |
• nerve endings start to regrow
• ability to taste and smell enhanced
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| 14 days |
• circulation improves
• walking becomes easier
• lung function increases up to 30% |
| 1 month |
• most nicotine withdrawal symptoms disappear |
| 3 months |
• lung function improves
• nagging cough disappears
• cilia regrow in the lungs, increasing their ability to handle mucus, clean themselves and reduce infection |
| 9 months |
• risk of pregnancy complications and foetal death reduced to level of non-smoker |
| 1 year |
• excess risk of coronary heart disease half that of a smoker |
| 5 years |
• risk of lung cancer decreases by half
• stroke risk same as non smoker
• risk of mouth, throat and oesophagus cancer half that of a smoker
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| 10 years |
• lung cancer death rate same as non smoker
• pre-cancerous cells replaced
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| 15 years |
• risk of coronary heart disease same as a non smoker
• if you smoked 20 a day, you've saved $49,275 (assuming $9 per pack of 20)
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Adapted from the 
Quit because you can book
See also 
Health benefits of quitting handout
Quitting 
