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On the Day A Smoker Quits

Show the figures below to a friend or family member who is teetering on the edge of kicking the cigarette habit. These are the immediate and long-term health benefits according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Cancer Society, as measured by the clock and calendar:

• 20 minutes after quitting: pulse rate, blood pressure, and temperature of hands and feet become normal.
• 8 hours later: blood oxygen increases to acceptable norms; carbon monoxide levels go down.
• 24 hours later: the chance of a heart attack declines noticeably.
• 48 hours later: improved ability to smell and taste; nerve endings start to re-grow.
• 2 weeks to 3 months later: walking becomes easier, circulation shows improvement, lung function attains a 30% gain.
• 1 year later: excess risk of smoking-related heart disease drops 50%.
• 5 years later: lung cancer death rate drops almost in half.
• 10 years later: lung cancer death rate becomes the same as that of a non-smoker.
• 15 years later: danger of heart disease is the same as that of a non-smoker.

For more information see the website for Nevada Tobacco Prevention Coalition: www.tobaccofreenv.org.