Got Motivation?
Reasons to Quit
Whether you strive to outrun the negatives or to celebrate the positives, there are so many reasons to quit!
Consider the Negatives...
Smoking is linked to...
- Bad Breath
- Stained Teeth
- Smelly Clothes
- Yellow Fingers
- Dulled Taste and Smell
- Decreased Lung Capacity
- Sexual Dysfunction and Infertility
- Premature Wrinkles
- Depression and Anxiety
- Cancer, Lung and Heart Disease!
- Health Damage to Those Around You
- and much more
Enjoy the Positives...
Just minutes after quitting, you start to reap the rewards. Over time, the benefits continue to increase!
20 minutes after quitting—Your heart rate and blood pressure drops.(Effect of Smoking on Arterial Stiffness and Pulse Pressure Amplification, Mahmud, A, Feely, J. 2003. Hypertension:41:183.)
12 hours after quitting—The carbon monoxide level in your blood drops to normal.(US Surgeon General's Report, 1988, p. 202)
2 weeks to 3 months after quitting—Your circulation improves and your lung function increases.(US Surgeon General's Report, 1990, pp.193, 194,196, 285, 323)
1 to 9 months after quitting—Coughing and shortness of breath decrease; cilia (tiny hair-like structures that move mucus out of the lungs) regain normal function in the lungs, increasing the ability to handle mucus, clean the lungs, and reduce the risk of infection.(US Surgeon General's Report, 1990, pp. 285-287, 304)
1 year after quitting—The excess risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a smoker's.(US Surgeon General's Report, 1990, p. vi)
5 years after quitting—Your stroke risk is reduced to that of a nonsmoker 5 to 15 years after quitting.(US Surgeon General's Report, 1990, p. vi)
10 years after quitting—The lung cancer death rate is about half that of a continuing smoker's. The risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, cervix, and pancreas decrease.(US Surgeon General's Report, 1990, pp. vi, 131, 148, 152, 155, 164,166)
15 years after quitting—The risk of coronary heart disease is that of a non-smoker's.(US Surgeon General's Report, 1990, p. vi)
Make It Personal
Beyond the endless health reasons, there should be personal reasons for quitting smoking. Personal reasons keep you motivated. Commit your reasons to paper and place your list in your wallet or pocketbook. Pull it out when cravings strike!
Examples of personal reasons to quit...
- To make my family proud of me
- To see my grandchildren grow up
- To do my part to make the world a better place
- To prove to myself I don't let a substance—or a tobacco company—control my choices
- To care for myself as much as I care for the people I love
Read more good reasons to quit smoking in our health library.
|
