Advice from a smoking cessation counsellor
Benefits of quitting
Quitting smoking is the single best thing you can do to improve your health and quality of life. Non-smokers have a much lower risk of getting dozens of smoking-related diseases like lung cancer, heart disease, and COPD. It doesn’t take long for your body to start benefitting from quitting!
20 minutes after quitting
- Your heart rate drops to a normal level.
12 to 24 hours after quitting
- The carbon monoxide level in your blood drops to normal.
- The risk of heart attack is reduced.
- Your sense of smell and taste begin to improve.
2 weeks to 3 months after quitting
- Your lung function begins to improve and you can breathe easier.
- Your circulation improves.
1 to 9 months after quitting
- You cough less and are short of breath less often.
1 year after quitting
- Your added risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a smoker’s.
1 year after quitting
- Your added risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a smoker’s.
5 to 15 years after quitting
- Your risk of having a stroke is reduced to that of a nonsmoker’s.
- Your risk of getting cancer of the mouth, throat, or esophagus is half that of a smoker’s.
10 years after quitting
- Your risk of dying from lung cancer is about half that of a smoker’s.
- Your risk of getting bladder cancer is half that of a smoker’s.
- Your risk of getting cervical cancer or cancer of the larynx, kidney or pancreas decreases.
15 years after quitting
- Your risk of coronary heart disease is the same as that of a nonsmoker.
Want more reasons to quit?
- Your teeth will be whiter and your breath will be fresher
- Your skin will look healthier and have fewer wrinkles
- Your hair and clothes won’t smell of smoke
- Your breathing and general fitness level will improve
- You will heal faster and have fewer complications after surgery
- You’ll set a good example for your children
- Your smoking will no longer affect the health of people around you
- You’ll have more money to save or to spend on other things
- You’ll have more energy to do the things you love
- You’ll pay lower life insurance premiums
- Cigarettes will no longer control your life
More resources to help you quit
CLA’s BreatheSTRONG program Module 5: Quitting smoking
An online source of support and connection, especially for Canadians living in rural and remote areas
Quit Map (Canadian Cancer Society)
Find support to quit smoking and vaping, including in-person, telephone or online resources. Search for things like free patches or gum, in-person support, and more.
STOP on the Net (SOTN) (CAMH Intrepid Lab)
An online program to help you quit smoking cigarettes, includes free nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) patches
Learn more about the Ottawa Model for Smoking Cessation, an evidence-based and effective approach created by the Ottawa Heart Institute and used in many hospitals and clinics.
A listing of provincial and territorial services (Government of Canada)