Quitting smoking can improve your appearance. As blood flow gets better, your skin receives more oxygen and nutrients. This can help you develop a healthier complexion. If you stay tobacco-free, the stains on your fingers and nails will disappear.

101 Things to Do Instead of Smoking

You can take control of your health by quitting and staying smokefree. Over time, you'll greatly lower your risk of death from lung cancer and other diseases such as heart disease, stroke, chronic bronchitis, emphysema, and at least 13 other kinds of cancer.

By quitting smoking, you can: Lengthen your life expectancy. Decrease your risk of disease (including lung cancer, throat cancer, emphysema, heart disease, high blood pressure, ulcers and reflux, erectile and sexual dysfunction, kidney disease, and other conditions)

What happens if you suddenly stop smoking?

Improved circulation, lower blood pressure and heart rate, and better oxygen levels and lung function all reduce your risk of a heart attack. 1 to 9 months after quitting, you'll feel less short of breath and cough less. Coughing, shortness of breath, and sinus congestion will decrease.

What to do if you want to quit smoking?

Think about trying some of these activities:

1. Exercise.

2. Get out of the house for a walk.

3. Chew gum or hard candy.

4. Keep your hands busy with a pen or toothpick, or play a game in the QuitGuide app.

5. Drink lots of water.

6. Relax with deep breathing.

7. Go to a movie.

8. Spend time with non-smoking friends and family.

One of the leading causes of death in the United States is coronary heart disease which is caused by smoking, according to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. Smoking raises your blood pressure and puts stress on your heart which weakens it and makes it less able to pump blood to other parts of your body.

When should I quit smoking?

Long-Term Rewards

Smokers who quit before age 40 reduce their chance of dying too early from smoking-related diseases by about 90 percent. Those who quit by age 45–54 reduce their chance of dying too early by about two-thirds. You can take control of your health by quitting and staying smokefree.

https://smokefree.gov/quit-smoking/why-you-should-quit/reasons-to-quit

Remind yourself of the rewards of quitting to help yourself stay on track:

• 20 minutes: heart rate, blood pressure drop

• 12 hours: carbon monoxide in the bloodstream drops to normal

• 2 weeks–3 months: circulation, lung function improves; heart attack risk begins to drop

• 1–9 months: cough less, breathe easier

• 1 year: risk of coronary heart disease cut in half

• 2–5 years: risk of cancer of mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder cut in half; stroke risk is reduced to that of a nonsmoker

• 10 years: half as likely to die from lung cancer; risk of kidney or pancreatic cancer decreases

• 15 years: risk of coronary heart disease same as non-smoker’s risk

What happens after 4 days of not smoking?

Nicotine is completely eliminated from the body and as a result nicotine withdrawal symptoms will have reached their peak.

5 to 10 days:

The average smoker will begin to notice a reduction in the number of nicotine cravings experienced in a day

(you're getting there!)

2 to 12 weeks: Your circulation starts to improve.

Health Effects of Secondhand Smoke

Over time, secondhand smoke has been associated with serious health problems in non-smokers:

• Lung cancer in people who have never smoked.

• More likely that someone will get heart disease‚ have a heart attack‚ and die early.

• Breathing problems like coughing‚ extra phlegm‚ wheezing‚ and shortness of breath.

Secondhand smoke is especially dangerous for children, babies, and women who are pregnant:

• Mothers who breathe secondhand smoke while pregnant are more likely to have babies with low birth weight.

• Babies who breathe secondhand smoke after birth have more lung infections than other babies.

• Secondhand smoke causes kids who already have asthma to have more frequent and severe attacks.

• Children exposed to secondhand smoke are more likely to develop bronchitis, pneumonia, and ear infections and are at increased risk for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

The only way to fully protect non-smokers from the dangers of secondhand smoke is to not allow smoking indoors. Separating smokers from non-smokers (like “no smoking” sections in restaurants)‚ cleaning the air‚ and airing out buildings does not get rid of secondhand smoke.

Other Ways Smoking Affects Others

Smoking affects the people in your life in other ways, beyond their health. When you smoke, you may miss out on:

• Spending time with family and friends.

• Having more money to spend on the people you love.

• Setting a good example for your children. Children who are raised by smokers are more likely to become smokers themselves.

Steps You Can Take to Protect Your Loved Ones

The best thing you can do to protect your family from secondhand smoke is to quit smoking. Right away, you get rid of their exposure to secondhand smoke in your home and car, and reduce it anywhere else you go together.

Make sure your house and car remain smokefree. Kids breathe in secondhand smoke at home more than any other place. The same goes for many adults. Don't allow anyone to smoke in your home or car. Setting this rule will:

• Reduce the amount of secondhand smoke your family breathes in.

• Help you quit smoking and stay smokefree.

• Lower the chance of your child becoming a smoker.

When you're on the go, you can still protect your family from secondhand smoke:

• Make sure caretakers like nannies, babysitters, and day care staff do not smoke.

• Eat at smokefree restaurants.

• Avoid indoor public places that allow smoking.

• Teach your children to stay away from secondhand smoke.

Find out more about secondhand smoke:

• From the National Cancer Institute, Secondhand Smoke: Questions and Answers

• From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention‚ Secondhand Smoke (SHS) Facts

https://smokefree.gov/quit-smoking/why-you-should-quit/secondhand-smoke