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It’s Too Late to Get any Health Benefits

Maybe reading this will change your mind...

Here are the changes that occur in the human body when a person quits smoking.

20 minutes:

  • Blood pressure drops back to normal.
  • Pulse rate slows down to normal.
  • The temperature of the hands and feet warms up to normal.

8 hours:

  • The amount of nicotine and carbon monoxide in the blood is halved.
  • Cell oxygenation becomes normal.

24 hours:

  • Carbon monoxide is completely eliminated from the organism.
  • The lungs begin to reject smoke residues.

48 hours:

  • Nicotine is completely eradicated from the system.
  • The nerve ends begin to regenerate.
  • The senses of taste and smell improve.

72 hours:

  • The bronchial tubes relax, making it easier to breathe.
  • Lung capacity increases.
  • Energy level improves.

2 weeks to 3 months:

  • Blood circulation improves.
  • Walking becomes easier.
  • Lung operation improves by up to 30%.
  • In the case of a pregnant woman who quits during the first three months of her pregnancy, the chances of having an underweight baby are the same as for a woman who has never smoked.

1 to 9 months:

  • Coughing, nasal congestion, fatigue and breathlessness all decrease.
  • The voice becomes clearer.
  • The vibrating hairs in the respiratory route regenerate and become better able to eliminate waste, which in turn helps protect against infection.
  • The body becomes more energetic.

1 year:

  • The risk of cardiovascular disease is halved.
  • For a woman, in the first few years after quitting, the risk of contracting cervical cancer declines to the same level as for women who have never smoked.

5 years:

  • The risk of contracting cancer of the mouth, throat and esophagus is halved. For average smokers (one pack per day), the death rate from lung cancer is also halved.
  • Between 5 and 15 years after quitting, the risk of stroke declines to the same level as for non-smokers.

10 years:

  • The death rate from lung cancer is similar to that of non-smokers.
  • Precancerous cells are replaced by healthy cells.
  • The risk of contracting cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus and bladder declines.

15 years:

  • The risk of heart attack is similar to that of non-smokers.

I need help

You would like to have support from smoking cessation professionals to help you quit smoking, but you don’t know which service to turn to? Learn more about the I QUIT NOW services and their free personalized support via online help, by phone, in person or by text message.

Combining nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) with personalized support from I QUIT NOW services increases your chances of becoming tobacco-free.

HELP ONLINE

You want to quit smoking at you own pace and keep track of your progress 24 hours a day, 7 days a week? Sign up to the I QUIT NOW online help for free and discover our everyday life tips and experiential exercises to help let the cravings pass.

HELP BY PHONE

1-866-527-7383

Want to speak with a specialist to help you quit smoking?

Call the I QUIT NOW helpline. It’s free!
Monday to Thursday: 8 A.M. to 9 P.M.
Friday: 8 A.M. to 8 P.M.

*** For Quebec residents only ***

HELP IN PERSON

QUIT SMOKING CENTRES

Want to meet with a specialist to help you quit smoking?

Find the Quit Smoking Centre nearest you!