Post #460774 by tiki mick on 06/10/2009

Here is some food for though, Babalu:

"What happens inside our bodies when we quit using tobacco? Have all of the years of smoking or chewing caused too much damage for quitting to be of any benefit? Not at all. The human body is amazingly resilient.

Within the first 20 minutes of quitting, the healing process begins. The benefits will continue
to improve your health and quality of life for years.

At 20 minutes after quitting:
• Blood pressure decreases
• Pulse rate drops
• Body temperature of hands and feet increases.

At 8 hours:
• Carbon monoxide level in blood drops to normal
• Oxygen level in blood increases to normal

At 24 hours:
• Chance of a heart attack decreases

At 48 hours:
• nerve endings begin regrowth
• ability to smell and taste improves

At One Year Smoke-Free:
Your excess risk of coronary heart disease is decreased to half that of a smoker after one year.

At 5 years smoke-free:
• from 5 to 15 years after quitting tobacco, stroke risk is reduced to that of people who have never smoked.

At 10 years smoke-free:
• risk of lung cancer drops to as little as one-half that of continuing smokers
• risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney, and pancreas decreases
• risk of ulcers decreases

At 15 years smoke-free:
• risk of coronary heart disease is now similar to that of people who have never smoked
• risk of death returns to nearly the level of people who have never smoked"