Poster: The Benefits of Quitting

Compared to smokers, your…

• Stroke risk may be reduced to about the same as a person who never smoked after 2 to 5 years of not smoking
• Cancers of the mouth, throat, and esophagus risks are halved within 5 years after quitting
• Cancer of the larynx risk is reduced after quitting
• Coronary heart disease risk is cut by half 1 year after quitting and is nearly the same as someone who never smoked 15 years after quitting
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease risk of death is reduced after you quit
• Lung cancer risk drops by as much as half 10 years after quitting
• Ulcer risk drops after quitting
• Bladder cancer risk is halved within 5 years of quitting
• Peripheral artery disease goes down after quitting
• Cervical cancer risk is reduced a few years after quitting
• Low birth weight baby risk drops to normal if you quit before pregnancy or during your first trimester