The Health Benefits Having One Smoke-Free Year

The Health Benefits Having One Smoke-Free Year Addiction Nicotine Use After You Quit Print The Health Benefits Having One Smoke-Free Year By Terry Martin facebook twitter Terry Martin quit smoking after 26 years and is now an advocate for those seeking freedom from nicotine addiction. Learn about our editorial policy Terry Martin Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Sanja Jelic, MD on November 17, 2016 Sanja Jelic, MD, is board-certified in sleep medicine, critical care medicine, pulmonary disease, and internal medicine.   Learn about our Medical Review Board Sanja Jelic, MD Updated on February 21, 2020 Hero Images / Getty Images More in Addiction Nicotine Use After You Quit How to Quit Smoking Nicotine Withdrawal Smoking-Related Diseases The Inside of Cigarettes Alcohol Use Addictive Behaviors Drug Use Coping and Recovery As of Dec. 20, 2019, the new legal age limit is 21 years old for purchasing cigarettes, cigars, or any other tobacco products in the U.S. At one year smoke-free, ex-smokers hit an important milestone related to the health benefits of quitting smoking: The excess risk of coronary heart disease drops to half that of current smokers.?? Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States today, and its one of the leading causes of smoking-related death for smokers, too.?? Toxins in cigarette smoke cause damage  to your heart in a number of ways. Carbon monoxide  reduces the amount of oxygen that gets to the heart. Smoking increases your blood pressure and heart rate, both of which are hard on your heart, and the chemicals in cigarettes contribute to atherosclerosis, also known as hardening of the arteries.?? If you smoke, quitting is the absolute best thing you can do for your heart and for your health overall. The Biggest Smoking Risk Isnt Lung Disease Give Yourself the Benefit of a Full Year to Quit Smoking Once you decide to quit, youll likely be impatient to be free of smoking cessation tactics. You want to reach a state of mind where cigarettes no longer hold any importance. While this should be the goal, and its definitely achievable, give yourself some time to heal from the many associations that have built up between smoking and daily life over the years. Relax and take the time you need to recover from nicotine addiction. Dont stress if you suddenly crave a smoke months after quitting. Old programming in our brains get triggered now and then, but the more practice you get with smoke-free living, the less often  errant thoughts of smoking will pop up. Why the Benefits of Quitting Continue to Grow Over Time If youve put a year between you and the last cigarette you smoked, congratulations!  The benefits of the positive choices youve made will continue to grow as you move forward from here. Smoking affects who we are more than most of us realize. On an emotional level, quitting tobacco is similar to peeling back the layers of an onion to find the person you were meant to be before addiction stepped into your life. What You Can Expect at Two Years Smoke-Free Your chance of achieving long-term success with smoking cessation increases significantly after two years. Statistics tell us that 80 out of 100 people who stay smoke-free for two years never smoke again. Also, at around two to five years, your risk of stroke is the same as a non-smokers. Why Its Important to Get Support Statistics tell us that only about half of those who quit  smoking  remain smoke-free at the end of their first year.?? However, with support, the odds are much improved. Fortify your quit program by connecting with others who are  going through what you are, whether its online, with  counseling, by joining a group, or by quitting with your partner or friend. If youre thinking about quitting smoking, there is no time like the present to get started. Change begins with a single first step. Stop just thinking about quitting, and start taking action. Throw the cigarettes away, and start your quit today. How Your Body Heals After You Quit Smoking