addiction to nicotine. No e-cigarette has been found to be safe by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
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Know that it’s never too late to quit, enhancing the length and quality of your life, saving money and possibly inspiring others.
About 40 million people Americans still smoke, and tobacco use remains the nation’s leading cause of death. In Connecticut, for example, about 12.1% of adults smoke, including 28.7% of high schoolers.
The American Lung Association, which has a new campaign called No Tobacco ’22, offers a variety of resources to help people become ex-smokers, including a helpline and quitline at 1-800-LUNGUSA staffed with nurses and certified tobacco treatment specialists.
Other programs help individuals create their own no-smoking plan, help teens with a tobacco problem and work toward vape-free schools.
How will your health improve if you stop smoking?
Your body benefits as soon as you stop smoking. According to the American Lung Association, within 20 minutes of your last cigarette, your elevated blood pressure and pulse rate drop.
After a couple of days, your abilities to smell and taste improve and your damaged nerve endings start to repair themselves.
Within a few months, walking and other physical activities will become easier and your lung function increases. After 10 years, you’ll have nearly halved your odds of getting lung cancer.
Your friends and family also benefit when you stop smoking. A nonsmoker who’s married to a smoker has about a 30 percent higher risk of developing lung cancer than one who lives with a nonsmoker. Children whose parents smoke are more likely to suffer from pneumonia or bronchitis in the first two years of life than are children who live in smoke-free households. By quitting cigarettes, you’re protecting your loved ones as well.