8/3/2019 Infographic: Quitting smoking
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SUSAN BATSFORD, GRAPHICS EDITOR, TWITTER @SBATS1; INFOGR APHIC
BY LINDSAY OUELLETTE/QMI AGENCY
IN MINUTES News and events visually
I quit!
I quit!Youve decided on your new years
resolution. This year you have vowed
to quit smoking. Its easy to say, butharder to do.Nicotine
creates a chemical dependency, so that the body develops a need for
a certain level
of nicotine at all times. Unless that level is maintained, the
body will begin to go throughwithdrawal similar to alcohol
addiction withdrawal. For tobacco users trying to quit, symptomsof
withdrawal from nicotine are unpleasant and stressful, but only
temporary. Most withdrawal
symptoms peak 48 hours after you quit and are completely gone in
six months.
Here's a rundown on what yourbody will go thorugh as you
quit.
The first 3 days
Heart ratedrops. Blood
pressurereturns to levelsnear those
before your lastcigarette.
Circulationimproves;
Hands andfeet feelwarmer; may
tingle.
Nicotine and carbonmonoxide levels fall.
Oxygen levels inyour body return tonormal, helping
replenish dried-outskin and hair
caused by smoking.
Your lungs begin to workbetter and start to clear out
excess mucus and any othersmoking debris. You maynotice you have
a cough or
sore throat as new lung tissuestarts to grow. You may
feellight-headed for the first 48
hours as the carbon monoxideleaves your system.
Within the first48 hours, you begin
to experience theworst symptoms ofwithdrawal. Taste
and sense of smellimprove. Your
chances of having aheart attack begin to
decrease.
Energy levels increase.You will not experience
extreme shortness ofbreath, especially whileexercising.
Craving
episodes will peak, Yourentire body will test
100% nicotine-free andover 90% of all
nicotine metabolites(the chemicals it
breaks down into) willhave passed through
your urine.
Carbonmonox
ide
iscompletely
removedfrom
yourbody.
Withdrawal symptoms begin as soon asfour hours after the last
cigarette,
generally peak in intensityat three to fivedays and are
completely gone in six
months.
20 min 1 hr 8 hrs Day
1 Day 2 Day 3
Weeks turn into months, months into years
Many of thesymptoms
quitters
experience arethe result ofthe nervous
systemreturning to
normal.
Quitters will experience aboutthree cue-induced craving
episodes per day by day seven.Episodes will last about three
minutes each. On day 10,cravings are down to two per
day, and last less thanthree minutes each.
You may get more irritable anddepressed. 60% of quitters said
they
suered from these side-eectswithin four weeks of giving up
smoking. Cravings may get stronger.Blood circulation in your
gums and
teeth are now similar to that of anon-user.
Withdrawl symptoms havestopped. Breathing and
energy levels improve. Lungregeneration starts. Cilia,
tiny hair-like structures thatmove mucus out of thelungs, regain
function.
Your coughhas
disappearedand your
appetite willstart to
increase.
Your risk ofheart disease
will havedropped by
50%.
Tobacc
osmo
kecon
tains
over4
,000
chemi
cals,o
fwhic
hmore
than
70are
knownt
ocaus
e,init
iateo
rprom
ote
cancera
ndarec
alledc
arcino
gens.
Thenum
berofs
mokers
from
2005to
2010ha
sincrea
sedby
1.5%Healthy
lung
Smokers lung
5 YEARSYour risk of having astroke is the same assomeone who
doesn'tsmoke.
10 YEARSYour risk of dying fromlung cancer is half thatof a
smoker's. Your riskof cancer of the mouth,throat,
esophagus,bladder, kidney, andpancreas alsodecreases.
15 YEARSYour risk of heartdisease is now thesame as someone
who
doesn't smoke.
Week 1
Week 2
1 month 1 year 3 months
