What happens when you quit smoking

The steps

1. Nearly every organ

   Smoking harms nearly every organ of the body, and tobacco smoke contains more than 7,000 chemicals. Within 20 minutes of quitting, your resting heart rate starts to fall.

   Smoking

   Source: healthdirect Australia, Quit smoking and vaping

2. The airways

   Within 2 to 12 weeks of quitting, circulation and lung function improve, and over 1 to 9 months coughing and breathlessness ease.

   Lungs and breathing

   Source: healthdirect Australia, Quit smoking and vaping

3. Protecting the lungs

   Smoking is the most common cause of COPD, and quitting is the single most important step to limit lung damage.

   COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)

   Source: healthdirect Australia, Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

4. The heart

   One year after quitting, your heart disease risk is about half that of a smoker. After 15 years, the risk of heart attack and stroke is almost the same as for someone who has never smoked.

   Coronary heart disease

   Source: healthdirect Australia, Quit smoking and vaping

5. The brain's blood supply

   Smoking cigarettes doubles the risk of having a stroke, so quitting is one of the ways to lower it.

   Stroke

   Source: healthdirect Australia, Stroke

Quiz