[Raindropvampire]

I bought a calendar and have this laminated to the front of the calendar. Every time I hit a new "milestone" I celebrate by doing something nice for myself. Plus I put an X on every day I don't smoke. When I'm tempted to smoke I look at all those Xs I'm throwing away and all the "milestones" I've passed and it helps keep me strong. I thought I would share in the hopes that it might inspire someone else.

When smokers quit – what are the benefits over time?
20 minutes after quitting

Your heart rate and blood pressure drop.

(Effect of smoking on arterial stiffness and pulse pressure amplification, Mahmud A, Feely J. Hypertension. 2003:41:183)

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) start to 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 continuing smoker’s.

(US Surgeon General’s Report, 2010, p. 359)

5 years after quitting

Risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, and bladder are cut in half. Cervical cancer risk falls to that of a non-smoker. Stroke risk can fall to that of a non-smoker after 2-5 years.

(A Report of the Surgeon General: How Tobacco Smoke Causes Disease - The Biology and Behavioral Basis for Smoking-Attributable Disease Fact Sheet, 2010; and Tobacco Control: Reversal of Risk After Quitting Smoking. IARC Handbooks of Cancer Prevention, Vol. 11. 2007, p 341)

10 years after quitting

The risk of dying from lung cancer is about half that of a person who is still smoking. The risk of cancer of the larynx (voice box) and pancreas decreases.

(A Report of the Surgeon General: How Tobacco Smoke Causes Disease - The Biology and Behavioral Basis for Smoking-Attributable Disease Fact Sheet, 2010; and US Surgeon General’s Report, 1990, pp. vi, 155, 165)

15 years after quitting

The risk of coronary heart disease is that of a non-smoker’s.

(Tobacco Control: Reversal of Risk After Quitting Smoking. IARC Handbooks of Cancer Prevention, Vol. 11. 2007. p 11)

These are just a few of the benefits of quitting smoking for good. Quitting smoking lowers the risk of diabetes, lets blood vessels work better, and helps the heart and lungs. Quitting while you are younger will reduce your health risks more, but quitting at any age can give back years of life that would be lost by continuing to smoke.

[gma45]

Thanks for this. I think I have seen it before but always good to refresh my memory. Someday I hope........

[cherrykix]

Thanks for posting this it is really nice to see some goals I can set for myself, and your idea about the calendar is a good one I'm going to steal

Sent from my SGH-T999L using Tapatalk

[browncat]

Thanks for posting!, I quit in 2009, and then I promptly got hooked on nicotine gum which I am still chewing At least I don't have the smoke going into my lungs though!!

Thank you for putting this put. After reading this, I truly want to quit smoking now. I'm so tired of feeling the need to smoke, cause deep down I know I shouldn't cause it affects my health.

[kiwi33]

I quit a couple of years ago.

One thing which helps me to stay motivated not to lapse is keep track of the money that I have saved by not smoking.

Every so often I reward myself by spending some of that saved money: eg, a nice restaurant meal, a book that I have wanted, etc - this works for me.

[Ananyawill]

Hey thanks for the share, i am even trying to quit the smoke, i heard that even the power of vision also increases, this is an idea which i can out to overcome the addictness

[jessiewilliams]

Thanks for the information

[tryingtoo]

Thank you for this!
I am currently one month without a cigarette and I loved this info on how much healthier I must be!

[Raindropvampire]

two more months and it will be two years Started playing the lotto with the money I would have spent on cigs. The lotto is a lot cheaper and who knows I might get lucky

Thanks for the tip and congrats on quitting!

I'm on day 16 no cigarettes. Feeling strong.

[melmyers1107]

Great idea about the calendar

I like the calender method, I will have to try that

[notz]

I think it helps to provide some visual accountability for yourself. You can actually SEE your accomplishment day by day!! It would make it harder for me to pick up that first smoke knowing that 1 cigarette is too many and 10,000 is never enough!

[Raindropvampire]

Trying to get hubby to join me and get his own calendar but he's just not quite ready.

[imqwerty]

Smoking is a bad habit. Quitting is good.

[healingme4me]

I don't know if I officially count as having 'quit', but tomorrow I have marked off as 28days. I question because I switched to ecig in lieu of a complete cold turkey, had tried the patch before and there is gum in my home. I did use the buddy system on this one. Did read that at least in switching I've reduced all those health risks by 95%, it's just there lacks long term studies. It's considered a "reduction" as opposed to "cessation", apparently. It's nice to still smell the fabric softener on my clothes. Have felt that first wow moment financially when opening my bank account online. I even calculated that with at least a switch over a years time, there's 3 months rent. I waited to finish the work year, was worried about withdrawal on the job. My quit buddy worried about family history of cpod. In the switch I'm learning more about nicotine as a lone substance. So, at least I'm off tobacco and the chemicals in a packaged cigarette. I was gentle with myself in that I tapered off to begin. Allowed myself a rationed amount until now I cannot stand the taste of it whatsoever. It's been a couple of weeks since that moment. I'm using a menthol ecig. Not going to try flavored luiquids as menthol and tobacco are the only flavors scientifically shown to not contain a chemical that can cause popcorn lung. So for right now, this is where I am at.

[notz]

Oh Healing! This is wonderful news my friend!!!!!!!!!!!!! Stay strong, you can do this. It's not easy but it can be done. I'm rooting for ya!

[Trippin2.0]

What is popcorn lung?

[Apokolips]

Originally Posted by healingme4me

I don't know if I officially count as having 'quit', but tomorrow I have marked off as 28days. I question because I switched to ecig in lieu of a complete cold turkey, had tried the patch before and there is gum in my home. I did use the buddy system on this one. Did read that at least in switching I've reduced all those health risks by 95%, it's just there lacks long term studies. It's considered a "reduction" as opposed to "cessation", apparently. It's nice to still smell the fabric softener on my clothes. Have felt that first wow moment financially when opening my bank account online. I even calculated that with at least a switch over a years time, there's 3 months rent. I waited to finish the work year, was worried about withdrawal on the job. My quit buddy worried about family history of cpod. In the switch I'm learning more about nicotine as a lone substance. So, at least I'm off tobacco and the chemicals in a packaged cigarette. I was gentle with myself in that I tapered off to begin. Allowed myself a rationed amount until now I cannot stand the taste of it whatsoever. It's been a couple of weeks since that moment. I'm using a menthol ecig. Not going to try flavored luiquids as menthol and tobacco are the only flavors scientifically shown to not contain a chemical that can cause popcorn lung. So for right now, this is where I am at.

That whole popcorn lung thing is not at all true. Cigarettes have between 50-100 times the amount of diacetyl(the compound that causes popcorn lung) and there has never been a single instance of popcorn lung cause by smoking. Ever. Please do not spread these falsehoods that big tobacco spews out to try and impact one of the most safe and successful methods of quitting smoking.

[healingme4me]

Originally Posted by Apokolips

That whole popcorn lung thing is not at all true. Cigarettes have between 50-100% the amount of diacetyl(the compound that causes popcorn lung) and there has never been a single instance of popcorn lung cause by smoking. Ever. Please do not spread these falsehoods that big tobacco spews out to try and impact one of the most safe and successful methods of quitting smoking.

Well thanks, but no thanks for the 'lecture'. I'm only trying to quit myself.

Smh.

That chemical they are talking about in the flavored liquid vaping. As I'm trying to understand myself..thanks..

[Apokolips]

Originally Posted by healingme4me

Well thanks, but no thanks for the 'lecture'. I'm only trying to quit myself.

Smh.

That chemical they are talking about in the flavored liquid vaping. As I'm trying to understand myself..thanks..

Yes there is diacetyl. However don't you think if cigarettes have never caused it with 50-100 times the amount of diacetyl found in any ejuice on the market, vaping isn't going to cause it either. I'm not against you quitting. I am against you spreading the flat out false claims by the FDA which receives millions of dollars In kickbacks from big tobacco. I want you to quit. I do not want you demonizing the one method of quitting that has helped millions of people with information that is not true.

[healingme4me]

Originally Posted by Apokolips

Yes there is diacetyl. However don't you think if cigarettes have never caused it with 50-100 times the amount of diacetyl found in any ejuice on the market, vaping isn't going to cause it either. I'm not against you quitting. I am against you spreading the flat out false claims by the FDA which receives millions of dollars In kickbacks from big tobacco. I want you to quit. I do not want you demonizing the one method of quitting that has helped millions of people with information that is not true.

Oh so now I'm spreading big tobacco propoganda, am I???

I'm not into coming online for an attack. Good Day.

[Apokolips]

Originally Posted by healingme4me

Oh so now I'm spreading big tobacco propoganda, am I???

I'm not into coming online for an attack. Good Day.

That's not at all what I said. You were concerned with diacetyl and I was letting you know that what you have heard about ejuice and popcorn lung is not true. You do not need to limit yourself to only tobacco flavored juices which in general do not help most vapers to quit. I'm sorry for trying to give you information but if you would like to continue believing nonsense I won't stop you.

[Apokolips]

And if you would like to educate yourself further feel free to read this article about the topic. http://www.ecigarette-research.org/r...w-2015/236-da2