Stop Smoking, Feel Better

July 28, 2005 — -- National Quit Smoking Day is less than a week away. To inspire you to become a quitter, "Good Morning America" and the American Legacy Foundation will be bringing you daily practical tips, and the latest alternative techniques and strategies to cope with the emotional side of quitting smoking.

On Tuesday, Aug. 2, stop by designated dropoff locations in New York, Washington, D.C., Pittsburgh, Miami and Houston, to trade in your cigarettes for a bag of goodies, including a Bally's 30-day gym membership coupon, a stress ball and "GMA" Stop Smoking Challenge Backpack.

Today, "GMA" brings you information about the health benefits of quitting smoking from the Department of Heath and Human Services' Tobacco Information and Prevention Source. For more information on tobacco from TIPS, Click Here.

When you think about quitting, do you worry that you've already done so much damage that there's no point in stopping now? Then you will be surprised to learn that almost immediately after you smoke your final cigarette, your body embarks on a series of health improvements that will continue for years.

20 minutes after your final cigarette
• Your heart rate drops.

12 hours later
• The level of carbon monoxide in your blood returns to normal.

2 weeks to 3 months later
• Your heart attack risk starts to decrease.

1 to 9 months later
• Expect to cough less.
• You will experience fewer incidences of shortness of breath.

1 year later
• Your added risk of coronary heart disease is half that of someone who is still smoking.

5 years later
• From between five to 15 years after quitting, your stroke risk will lower until it is the same as level as a nonsmoker's.

10 years later
• Your lung cancer death rate is about half that of what it would be if you had not quit.
• Your risk of cancers of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney and pancreas decreases.

15 years later
• By this time, your risk of coronary heart disease is comparable to that of a nonsmoker.