From Terry Martin,
Your Guide to Smoking Cessation.
FREE Newsletter. Sign Up Now!

About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by our Medical Review Board

At 5 years smoke-free:

• from 5 to 15 years after quitting tobacco, stroke risk is reduced to that of people who have never smoked.

Paul's Story - How a Stroke Changed His Life

At 10 years smoke-free:

• risk of lung cancer drops to as little as one-half that of continuing smokers
• risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney, and pancreas decreases
• risk of ulcers decreases

At 15 years smoke-free:

• risk of coronary heart disease is now similar to that of people who have never smoked
• risk of death returns to nearly the level of people who have never smoked

Long-Term Quit Smoking Success Stories

Read the accounts of those with 18 months or more as smoke-free. Life works better without cigarettes, and freedom from nicotine addiction is a gift beyond compare.

********************************

If you are currently smoking, it may be hard to imagine yourself as an ex-smoker with 15 years of freedom from the habit. Quitting can seem like a mountain. It's possible though, and you can quit just as surely as anyone else. It all starts with that first step of making the commitment to quit, and taking action. From there, learning to live your life free of the addiction you've been chained to for so many years is just a day-by-day process.

Don't let smoking waste any more of your precious life.
Quit now and get this journey underway.

You won't regret it.

<sub>Source:

2004 Surgeon General's Report: Poster: Within 20 Minutes of Quitting 27 May 2004. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</sub>