Benefits of Quitting
As with other statistics on our website the following are used with permission from Health Canada as they are deemed to be the most reliable and accurate.
Would you like to check out your own smoking statistics? Then try out our Smoking Calculator. We think you’ll be shocked at what you see!
Former smokers live longer than those who continue to smoke. For example, those who quit before age 50 have only half the chance of dying from a smoking-related disease in the next 15 years compared with those who continue to smoke.The health benefits of quitting occur for all types of smokers, men and women, young and old.In fact, your body will start to heal within 24 hours of quitting:
• Within 8 hours, the carbon monoxide level drops in your body and the oxygen level in your blood increases to normal
• Within 48 hours, your chances of having a heart attack start to go down and your sense of smell and taste begin to improve
• Within 72 hours, your lung capacity increases and breathing becomes easier
• Within 2 weeks to 3 months, blood circulation improves and your lung functioning increases up to 30 percent
• Within 6 months, coughing, sinus congestion, tiredness and shortness of breath improve
• Within 1 year, your risk of suffering a smoking-related heart attack is cut in half
• Within 10 years, the risk of dying from lung cancer is cut in half
• Within 15 years, the risk of dying from a heart attack is equal to a person who never smoked.
Health effects of smoking
There is strong medical evidence that smoking tobacco is related to more than two dozen diseases and conditions. It has negative effects on nearly every organ of the body and reduces overall health. Smoking tobacco remains the leading cause of preventable death and has negative health impacts on people of all ages: unborn babies, infants, children, adolescents, adults, and seniors.
Serious health problems that can be avoided by not using tobacco
Lung cancer
Lung cancer is the leading cause of death due to cancer in Canada. Smoking tobacco is the single most important preventable cause of lung cancer, accounting for 85% of all new cases of lung cancer in Canada. Smoking causes genetic changes in the cells of the lung that lead to the development of lung cancer.
Other cancers
Research shows that smoking tobacco can lead to respiratory and upper digestive tract cancers, particularly cancer of the mouth, throat (pharynx), voice box (larynx) and esophagus. Research also indicates that smoking tobacco is a contributing cause of leukemia and cancers of the bladder, stomach, kidney and pancreas. Female smokers are at greater risk for developing cervical cancer.
Respiratory diseases
The respiratory diseases associated with smoking are often grouped together and referred to as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) that includes emphysema, chronic bronchitis and asthmatic bronchitis. Cigarette smoking connected to an increased risk of respiratory symptoms, including coughing, phlegm, wheezing and difficult or laboured breathing (dyspnea).
Cardiovascular diseases
Cardiovascular diseases are diseases and injuries of the heart, the blood vessels of the heart, and of the system of blood vessels (veins and arteries) throughout the body and brain. Cardiovascular diseases caused by smoking include heart attacks and angina (coronary heart diseases), blockages in the legs (peripheral vascular disease), and strokes (cerebrovascular diseases).
Quitting smoking will alleviate the risks of:
• trench mouth, an infection of the gums due to too much bacteria in the mouth. It can develop into mouth sores and painful ulcers
• plaque build up
• stained teeth and gums
• mouth cancer
• periodontitis — an infection and swelling in your gums that smells really bad. The infection rots the tissue and bone that hold your teeth in. If there’s nothing to hold your teeth in — they fall out. Or, you may have to get your teeth pulled to prevent the infection from spreading through your body. Not only do the tar, nicotine, and thousands of chemicals in cigarettes damage your lungs, they also get into your blood stream and travel through your body, they go wherever your blood goes…
• through every tiny delicate blood vessel
• to every organ (heart, kidneys, liver, skin…)
• to every limb (right down to your fingers & toes)
• to your eyes, gums, mouth and brain and do their special brand of damage everywhere they goBy quitting you protect your DNA and save your cells from changing (and growing a tumour). The nicotine in every cigarette can, all by itself,
• tear the linings of your blood vessels
• cause your blood vessels to go into spasms preventing blood from getting to your heart and other organs
• prevent oxygen from getting to where it needs to go - like your lungs, which is why you get out of breath faster than non-smokers (even in your youth); your lower legs and feet, which causes them to “die” and they have to be cut off (amputated) or like the skin on your face, which causes wrinkles - Smoker’s Face” is a good example
Cigarette smoking:
• Damages the small blood vessels in the skin.
• Damages the blood supply to the skin.
• Damages the tissue under the skin.
• Damages the ’elastic’ tissue of the skin.
Smoker’s face is an actual medical term. It is described as wrinkled with ’crows feet’, older than a person’s actual age, and a yellow-gray leathery complexion.
Smokers don’t look healthy.
What are the other benefits of quitting?
• No chance of accidentally burning a hole in your favourite clothes.
• Reduce your chances of developing heart disease.
• Reduce your chances of developing cancer.
• Reduce your chances of developing breathing problems like emphysema.
• Reduce your chances of developing infections and colds.
• Prevent early wrinkling because your face will get the oxygen and blood it needs.
• Increase your energy because more oxygen circulates through your body.
• Stops your teeth and fingers from turning yellow.
• Save a lot of money. A lot.
• Sets a great example for children and other smokers.Data provided courtesy of Health Canada
Money, Money, Money! How Much is Smoking Costing You?
These are our calculations, not Health Canada’s - theirs are much higher!
Assume $8 per pack and one pack per day.$8 day X 30 days per month = $240 per month.$240 per month X 12 months = $2880 per year. Ten years = $28800 - Twenty years = $57600 - Thirty years = $86400
Is that correct? You might think so, but no. This doesn’t take into account the average rise in prices over the last 20 years - 533%.
If the status quo remains, the price of a package of cigarettes in 2026 will be nearly $45 PER PACK. Yikes.
Also keep in mind that these calculations do not account for compound interest lost on the money spent. Mathematical formulas show that your actual cost of smoking for those thirty years will be in excess of $250,000 and more likely close to half a million dollars depending on your smoking habits. I don’t know about you but I have a lot better things to do with $500,000 than watch it go up in smoke.
Wouldn’t you agree?
Time to quit, don’t you think?
