Tomorrow is the Great American Smokeout

Today’s Wordless Wednesday Walkers will be a little different. It’s a bit wordier but for the good cause of advocating that people stop smoking via the Great American Smokeout which takes place tomorrow, Thursday, November 20, 2008.

For the first time in four years, the Center for Disease Control is reporting that cigarette smoking in the US is down from 20.8% in 2006 to 19.8% in 2007.

“The good news is, we continue to see fewer people smoking," said Janet Collins, PhD, director of CDC's National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. "The bad news is we need more people to quit. Quitting smoking is the most important step smokers can take to improve their health and protect the health of nonsmoking family members."

Why should you quit smoking?

20 minutes after quitting: Your heart rate and blood pressure drops.
(Effect of Smoking on Arterial Stiffness and Pulse Pressure Amplification, Mahmud, A, Feely, J. 2003. Hypertension:41:183.)

12 hours after quitting: The carbon monoxide level in your blood drops to normal.
(US Surgeon General's Report, 1988, p. 202)

2 weeks to 3 months after quitting: Your circulation improves and your lung function increases.
(US Surgeon General's Report, 1990, pp.193, 194,196, 285, 323)

1 to 9 months after quitting: Coughing and shortness of breath decrease; cilia (tiny hair-like structures that move mucus out of the lungs) regain normal function in the lungs, increasing the ability to handle mucus, clean the lungs, and reduce the risk of infection.
(US Surgeon General's Report, 1990, pp. 285-287, 304)

1 year after quitting: The excess risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a smoker's.
(US Surgeon General's Report, 1990, p. vi)

5 years after quitting: Your stroke risk is reduced to that of a nonsmoker, 5 to 15 years after quitting.

10 years after quitting: The lung cancer death rate is about half that of a continuing smoker's. The risks of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, cervix, and pancreas decrease.
(US Surgeon General's Report, 1990, pp. vi, 131, 148, 152, 155, 164,166)

15 years after quitting: The risk of coronary heart disease is that of a non-smoker's.
(US Surgeon General's Report, 1990, p. vi) Source: The Health Benefits Over Time

As you can see I’ve included pictures relevant to lung cancer: And in this case, a picture is really worth a thousand words.

If you smoke, please try to use the resources available in your community and elsewhere to quit. If you know someone who smokes--encourage them to quit, but remember, they have to make the choice themselves, so be mindful that nagging usually does more harm than good.

Quitting smoking is definitely a step in the right direction, because

After all, it’s about a healthy lifestyle!

© Iowa Avenue