The Great American Smoke Out

Today marks the 37th Great American Smokeout.  Every third Thursday of November (today), the American Cancer Society encourages smokers to quit smoking, continue their pledge to quit or make a plan to quit.

Why should I quit?

• 20 minutes after quitting your heart rate and blood pressure drop.
• 12 hours after quitting the carbon monoxide level in your blood drops to normal.
• 2 weeks to 3 months after quitting your circulation improves and your lung function increases.
• 1 to 9 months after quitting 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.
• 1 year after quitting the excess risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a continuing smoker’s.
• 5 years after quitting your riskof 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.
• 10 years after quitting 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.
• 15 years after quitting the risk  of coronary heart disease is that of a non-smoker’s.

To learn more visit www.cancer.org or call 1-800-QUIT-NOW