Within 20 minutes after you smoke that last cigarette, your body begins a series of changes that continue for years. (www.cdc.gov/tobacco)

• 20 Minutes After Quitting:
  • Your heart rate drops.
• 12 hours After Quitting:
  • Carbon monoxide level in your blood drops to normal.
• 2 Weeks to 3 Months After Quitting:
  • Your heart attack risk begins to drop.
  • Your lung function begins to improve.
• 1 to 9 Months After Quitting:
  • Your coughing and shortness of breath decrease.
• 1 Year After Quitting:
  • Your added risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a smoker’s.
• 5 Years After Quitting:
  • Your stroke risk is reduced to that of a nonsmoker’s

5-15 years after quitting.

• 10 Years After Quitting:
  • Your lung cancer death rate is about half that of a smoker’s.
  • Your risk of cancers of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney, and pancreas decreases.
• 15 Years After Quitting:
  • Your risk of coronary heart disease is back to that of a nonsmoker’s.

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