Benefits of Quitting
Quitting is the most important thing you will ever do for your health. Your mental and physical health will improve immediately and you will live longer.
Quality of life
Many studies have shown that quitting smoking leads to an improved quality of life. After quitting, people are more satisfied with their social and work lives and notice improvements in pain, movement, energy, self control and mood. Research shows that these benefits persist in the long term.
Fairly soon, you will breathe better, have more energy, sleep better, feel more relaxed and your cough will improve. Your skin will improve and you will no longer smell like an ashtray.
Reduced disease risk
Three years after quitting your risk of having a heart attack is reduced by about 50%. The risk of lung cancer halves with every 10 years since quitting, taking 40 years to reach the level of never smokers. Your risk of a wide range of smoking related diseases will gradually reduce and in many cases will revert to the level of someone who never smoked. For example you will have a reduced risk of many other cancers, stroke, lung disease, bowel problems, diabetes, osteoporosis (thin bones), rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis to name just a few.
Improved mental health
Contrary to popular belief, smokers are more relaxed and happier when they quit. Research shows that quitting smoking lifts your mood by as much as taking an antidepressant and reduces anxiety levels. Quitting is especially important for smokers with mental illness as it improves mental health.
Living longer
The sooner you stop the better. If you quit completely before the age of 35 years, the damage from smoking is fully reversed and you will have a normal life expectancy. In fact you will live ten years longer than if you continued to smoke.
After the age of 35 years, every year of smoking shortens your life by 3 months. If you quit at 40 you gain 9 years of life, at 50 you gain 6 years of life and at 60 years you gain 3 years of life. It is never too late to quit!
Saving money
A 20-pack a day smoker will save over $9,500 per year after quitting. Imagine what you could do with that?
Click here to find out how much money you could save by quitting.