Tobacco Cessation

Benefits of Quitting

Table of Contents

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Benefits of Quitting

Quitting tobacco use in any form is one of the most important actions people can take to improve their health. This is true regardless of their age or how long they have been using tobacco products.

While quitting earlier in life yields greater health benefits, quitting smoking is beneficial to health at any age. Even people who have smoked for many years or have smoked heavily will benefit from quitting.

Quitting smoking is the single best way to protect family members, coworkers, friends, and others from the health risks associated with breathing second hand smoke, and is one of the most important actions people who smoke can take to reduce their risk for cardiovascular disease and respiratory diseases.

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Health Benefits of Quitting Smoking

  • Improves health and increases life expectancy
  • Lowers risk of cardiovascular diseases
  • Lowers risk of 12 types of cancer
  • Lowers risk of COPD
  • Lowers risk of having poor reproductive health outcomes

Tobacco users pay higher health insurance premiums than nontobacco users. Homeowners and rental insurance plans ask about smoking and often offer a discount for a nontobacco use home, and automobile insurances see smokers as a higher risk for accidents, therefore premiums are higher. Tobacco use affects cost to employers; productivity, absenteeism, increase use of disability leave and increases overall health care costs. Workplaces that have allotted areas for smokers pay more for fire insurance, cleaning and maintenance.

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Economical Benefits of Quitting Smoking

  • Lower insurance premiums for medical, property, automobile, etc.
  • Increased productivity and earnings in the workplace
  • Decreased time lost at job
  • Increased property values
  • Decreased problems caused by second hand smoke

Over time, people who quit smoking see many benefits to their health. After the last use of any tobacco product, your body begins a series of positive changes that continue for years.

Time After Quitting Health Benefits
Minutes Heart rate drops
24 hours Nicotine level in blood drops to zero
Several Days Carbon monoxide levels in blood drop
1–12 Months Coughing and shortness of breath decrease
1–2 Years Risk of heart attack drops sharply
3–6 Years Added risk of coronary heart disease drops by half
5–10 Years Added risks of cancers of mouth, throat and voice box drops by half, risk of stroke decreases
10 Years Risk of lung cancer drops by half; risks of bladder, esophagus and kidney cancer decreases
15 Years Risk of coronary heart disease drops
20 Years Risk of cancer of mouth, throat, voice box, pancreatic, and cervical cancer drops to that of someone who doesn’t smoke


Healthcare providers in a variety of settings play a critical role in helping people quit the use of tobacco. Even brief advice from you can make it much more likely that your patients will try to quit, and ultimately succeed. You can make a difference!

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Revised 10/9/2023