It’s the question that all smokers have to ask at some point: what would happen to my health if I decided to stop smoking? When you’re still deep into a chronic cigarette addiction, it can be hard to see the benefits clearly. With that in mind, here’s some proven ways your health would improve over time if you gave up smoking:

30 minutes:

At the 30 minute mark, the rate of your pulse will gradually reach a normal speed.

9 hours:

After just 9 hours, the nicotine and carbon monoxide levels in your blood begin to go down by 50%, while the oxygen in your blood reaches a normal amount. If you can feel yourself desperate for a cigarette at the end of a hard day, make sure you keep this in mind. We’d recommend vaping as a brilliant alternative for satisfying that urge.

1 and a half days:

This one calls for a celebration. After just one and a half days, your sense of smell and taste will start to improve. Why not order your favourite pizza as a treat?

3 days:

Things are getting even better! After 3 days, the tubes in your lungs will start to sooth, allowing for easier and more efficient breathing. Alongside this, you’ll also start to feel yourself becoming more and more energised. Some smokers might interpret this as anxiety, so make sure you focus on the positivity of your actions.

9 days:

Relax: this is the stage where many ex-smokers start to feel a reduction in their cigarette cravings.

2-10 weeks:

After a few more weeks, your circulation will quickly improve with a possibility for zero cravings whatsoever. Even so, don’t lose your focus. While you should be proud of getting this far, it’s very easy to slip into old habits.

3-10 months

At this stage, that horrible smoker’s cough you may have carried round for years should finally have disappeared, with a 10% increase in lung function.

1 year:

This is a milestone ex-smokers dream of hitting. Make sure to celebrate the achievement as you’ve definitely earned it. A big bonus is that your chance of getting heart disease is now half compared to someone still smoking.

A decade:

Lung cancer looms over all smokers and will always be a massive reason for many quitting in the first place. A decade later and you’ll still be seeing the benefits of your positive choices, with your chances of getting lung cancer now half of that of a smoker.

15 years:

A massive 15 years later and your risk of health issues, including heart attacks, has become the same as a non-smoker, possibly for the first time in your adult life.

Smoking addictions are incredibly tough to break away from, but the health benefits are too overwhelming to ignore. We’d recommend using vaping as an alternative. While it may contain nicotine, it doesn’t come with all the lethal parts of cigarettes. This factual guideline should give you hope on your journey to quit, with your health improving almost immediately. We’re backing you every step of the way.