Quitters are winners

It’s no secret that cigarette smoking is one of the leading causes of lung cancer, and kicking the habit immediately can bring tremendous benefits, according to the American Cancer Society:

• Your heart rate and blood pressure drop 20 minutes after quitting.
• The carbon monoxide level in your blood drops to normal 12 hours after quitting.
• The risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a smoker’s one year after quitting.
• The lung cancer death rate is about half that of a smoker’s 10 years after quitting.
• The risk of coronary heart disease is that of a nonsmoker’s 15 years after quitting.