Reasons to Kick the Habit
—Tobacco

 

Smoking is the single most preventable cause of disease and death in the United States. Each year, approximately 500,000 Iowans smoke about 5 billion cigarettes, and 4,800 Iowans who smoke die of smoking related disease. Many people don’t realize that cigarette smoke contains more than 4,000 known poisons or that tobacco is addictive—until they’re hooked. If you are a smoker, the good news is that quitting gives immediate health benefits, no matter how long you have smoked...

Changes your body goes through after
you stop smoking...

 Within 20 minutes of your last cigarette:

  • Blood pressure drops

  • Pulse rate drops to normal

  • Body temperature of hands and feet increases to normal

After 8 hours:

  • Carbon monoxide level in blood drops to normal

  • Oxygen level in blood increases to normal

 After 24 hours:

  • Chances of heart attack decrease

 After 48 hours:

  • Nerve endings start regrowing

  • Ability to smell and taste is enhanced

 Within 2 weeks to 3 months:

  • Circulation improves

  • Walking becomes easier

  • Lung function increases up to 30%

 Within 1 to 9 months:

  • Coughing, sinus congestion, fatigue, shortness of breath decrease

  • Cilia regrow in the lungs, increasing the ability to handle mucus, clean lungs and reduce infection

  • Body’s overall energy increases

After 1 year:

  • Excess risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a smoker

 After 5 years:

  • Lung cancer death rate for average former smoker (one pack a day)
    decreases by ½

  • Risk of cancer of the mouth, throat and esophagus is half that of a smoker’s

  • Stroke risk is reduced to that of a nonsmoker (5-15 years after quitting)

 After 10 years:

  • Lung cancer rates similar to that of a nonsmoker

  • Precancerous cells are replaced

  • Risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, bladder, kidney and pancreas decreases

 After 15 years:

  • Risk of coronary heart disease is that of a nonsmoker

 

What's in Smoke?

The following is a partial list of the over 4,000 chemicals that are present in cigarette smoke, 63 of these chemicals are known to cause cancer.

  • Acetaldehyde—used to silver mirrors

  • Acetic acid

  • Acetone—nail polish remover

  • Acetylene—

  • Acrolein—used in pesticide

  • Acrylonitrile

  • Aluminum

  • Aminobiphenyl

  • Ammonia—Cleaning product

  • Anabaslne

  • Anatabine

  • Aniline

  • Anthracenes

  • Argon

  • Arsenic

  • Benz(a)anthracene

  • Benzene

  • Benzo(a)pyrene

  • Benzo(b)fluoranthene

  • Benzo(j)fluoranthene

  • Benzo(k)fluoranthene

  • Butadiene—Rubber tires

  • Butane—Cigarette Lighter Fuel

  • Cadmium—Batteries

  • Campesterol

  • Carbon monoxide—Car exhaust

  • Carbon sulfide

  • Catechol—used in pesticide

  • Chromium

  • Chrysene

  • Copper

  • Crotonaldehyde

  • Cyclotenes

  • DDT/Dieldrln

  • Dibenz(a,h)acridlne

  • Dibenz(a,h)anthracene

  • Dibenz(aj)acridine

  • Dibenzo(a,i)pyrene

  • Dibenzo(c,g)carbazole

  • Dimenthyihydrazine

  • Ethylcarbamate

  • Fluoranthenes

  • Fluorenes

  • Formic acid

  • Furan

  • Glycerol

  • Hexamine—Barbeque lighter

  • Hydrazine—Rocket fuel

  • Hydrogen cyanide—Chemical weapons

  • Hydrogen sulfide

  • Indeno (1,2,3-c,d)pyrene

  • Indole

  • Isoprene

  • Lead—once used in paint

  • Limonene

  • Linoleic acid

  • Linolenic acid

  • Magnesium

  • Mercury—Thermometers

  • Methane

  • Methyl formate

  • Methylamineethylchrysene

  • Methylamine

  • Methylnitrosamino

  • Methylpyrrolidine

  • N-Nitrosoanabasine

  • N-Nitrosodiethanolamine

  • N-Nitrosodiethylamine

  • N-Nitrosodimethylamine

  • N-Nltrosoethyl methylamine

  • N-Nitrosomorpholine

  • N-Nitrosopyrrolidine

  • Naphthalene—Moth balls

  • Naphthylamlne

  • Neophytadienes

  • Nickel—used in batteries

  • Nicotine—Addictive drug

  • Nitric oxide—Disinfectant

  • Nitrobenzene—Gasoline additive

  • Nitropropane

  • Nitrosamines

  • Nitrosonornicotine

  • Nitrous oxide phenols

  • Nomicotine

  • Palmitic acid

  • Phenanthrenes

  • Phenol

  • Picotines

  • Polonium-210

  • Propionic acid

  • Pyrenes

  • Pyrrolidine

  • Quinoline—used in pesticide

  • Quinones

  • Scopoletin

  • Sitosterol

  • Skatole

  • Solanesol

  • Stearic acid—Candle wax

  • Stigmasterol

  • Styrene—used in Styrofoam insulation

  • Titanium

  • Toluene—used in varnish

  • Toluidine

  • Urethane

  • Vinyl chloride—used in garbage bags

  • Vinylpyridine