Smoker

I never smoked until I was 30 years old. I blame my late start on my move to Tokyo, and the years of very late night partying that accompanied the experience. My subsequent move to Hong Kong and then to London with its pubs didn’t help the situation.

But recently I quit smoking. This event corresponded with my recent re-uptake of hockey. To get in shape for hockey, I began to run some sprints. I learned the hard way that sprinting and smoking don’t mix very well. I felt the immediate benefits of my anti-smoking crusade but did not realize the short-term effects of not smoking.

Here is a timeline about the immediate effects of quitting smoking and how it affects your body.

• In 20 minutes your blood pressure will drop back down to normal.
• In 8 hours the carbon monoxide (a toxic gas) levels in your blood stream will drop by half, and oxygen levels will return to normal.
• In 48 hours your chance of having a heart attack will have decreased. All nicotine will have left your body. Your sense of taste and smell will return to a normal level.
• In 72 hours your bronchial tubes will relax, and your energy levels will increase.
• In 2 weeks your circulation will increase, and it will continue to improve for the next 10 weeks.
• In three to nine months coughs, wheezing and breathing problems will dissipate as your lung capacity improves by 10%.
• In 1 year your risk of having a heart attack will have dropped by half.
• In 5 years your risk of having a stroke returns to that of a non-smoker.
• In 10 years your risk of lung cancer will have returned to that of a non-smoker.
• In 15 years your risk of heart attack will have returned to that of a non-smoker.