Improvements happen from 20 minutes to 10 years after quitting smoking.
Most smokers know cigarettes are dangerous for their health. And 86.8 percent of Tennesseans believe that cigarette smoking is very addictive. What smokers might not realize is how fast your health can begin to improve after quitting smoking.
Just 20 minutes after your last cigarette, your heart rate and blood pressure drop. And the benefits continue, even years later. Within one year of quitting smoking, your excess risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a continuing smoker.
And quitting isn’t just good for your health — it’s also great for your wallet. Smokers with a pack-a-day habit can save about $2,000 in cigarettes alone each year by quitting.
The Tennessee Tobacco QuitLine can help support you on your way to becoming smoke-free by providing counselors, strategies and even up to two weeks of nicotine patches free of charge.
Call the Quitline at 1-800-784-8669 or visit tnquitline.org.
November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month. Those at highest risk for lung cancer are ages 55 to 74; and current or former smokers with 30 or more pack years. See if lung cancer screenings are right for you.
