Quitting smoking or vaping- whether it is tobacco or cannabis- isn’t easy. 

It takes time. 

And a plan. 

You don’t have to stop smoking in one day.

Start with day one. Call:  1-800-300-8086

Check out George's (true) story here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3h_IydbeD4

Want to cut back on cannabis smoking or vaping? 

Find your county's resources here:  https://www.dhcs.ca.gov/individuals/Pages/SUD_County_Access_Lines.aspx 

Quitting smoking lowers your risk of other cancers over time as well, including cancers of the stomach, pancreas, liver, cervix, and colon and rectum, as well as acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

Quitting also lowers your risk of diabetes, helps your blood vessels work better, and helps your heart and lungs.

Quitting smoking can also add as much as 10 years to your life, compared to if you continued to smoke. Quitting while you're younger can reduce your health risks more (for example, quitting before the age of 40 reduces the risk of dying from smoking-related disease by about 90%), but quitting at any age can give back years of life that would be lost by continuing to smoke.

Are there other benefits of quitting that I’ll notice right away?

Kicking the tobacco habit offers some other rewards that you’ll notice right away and some that will show up over time.

Right away you’ll save the money you spent on tobacco. And here are just a few other benefits you may notice:

Food tastes better.

Your sense of smell returns to normal.

Your breath, hair, and clothes smell better.

Your teeth and fingernails stop yellowing.

Ordinary activities (for example, climbing stairs or light housework) leave you less out of breath.

You can be in smoke-free buildings without having to go outside to smoke.

Quitting also helps stop the damaging effects of tobacco on how you look, including premature wrinkling of your skin, gum disease, and tooth loss.

Health Benefits of Quitting Smoking Over Time

It’s never too late to quit using tobacco. The sooner you quit, the more you can reduce your chances of getting cancer and other diseases.

Within minutes of smoking your last cigarette, your body begins to recover:

20 minutes after quitting

Your heart rate and blood pressure drop.

A few days after quitting

The carbon monoxide level in your blood drops to normal.

2 weeks to 3 months after quitting

Your circulation improves and your lung function increases.

1 to 12 months after quitting

Coughing and shortness of breath decrease. Tiny hair-like structures that move mucus out of the lungs (called cilia) start to regain normal function, increasing their ability to handle mucus, clean the lungs, and reduce the risk of infection.

1 to 2 years after quitting

Your risk of heart attack drops dramatically.

5 to 10 years after quitting

Your risk of cancers of the mouth, throat, and voice box (larynx) is cut in half. Your stroke risk decreases.

10 years after quitting

Your risk of lung cancer is about half that of a person who is still smoking (after 10 to 15 years). Your risk of cancer of the bladder, esophagus, and kidney decreases.

15 years after quitting

Your risk of coronary heart disease is close to that of a non-smoker’s.

For more tips, visit: 

https://www.cancer.org/healthy/stay-away-from-tobacco/guide-quitting-smoking.html