The benefits of quitting smoking are major and varied

December 22, 2022

Par: National Committee Against Smoking

Dernière mise à jour: August 6, 2024

Temps de lecture: 7 minutes

Les bénéfices de l’arrêt du tabac sont majeurs et variés

Quitting smoking has many immediate, medium and long-term benefits, which smokers must be regularly reminded of in order to support their motivation.

When giving up smoking, smokers sometimes tend to lock themselves into nostalgia for a few lost pleasures, while forgetting the dependence and the countless disadvantages of smoking which led them to stop their consumption. An effective approach is to focus on the benefits of stopping smoking, which reinforces motivation to quit. Here is a reminder of the many benefits that should encourage all smokers to stop smoking.

Immediate benefits

Earnings financial is the most immediate and one of the most visible. It is also one of the main motivations for quitting smoking, even if it is generally not sufficient[1]. However, a day without tobacco allows you to make substantial savings which, cumulatively, can represent, in France, around 330 euros/month[2], or almost 4000 euros/year. These savings are all the more significant in households with the lowest incomes, where there are more smokers.[3]. This lever encouraging people to stop smoking has also been reinforced by the COVID-19 crisis.[4].

In terms of health, blood pressure and heart rate return to normal 20 minutes after the last cigarette. Eight hours later, cell oxygenation returns to normal and the amount of carbon monoxide in the blood is reduced by half. 24 hours after stopping smoking, the body no longer contains nicotine or carbon monoxide, the lungs begin to eliminate mucus and smoke residue.

Taste and smell improve 48 hours after the last cigarette. Breathing is made easier 72 hours after stopping smoking, which allows you to feel more energetic.

Medium-term benefits

After two weeks quitting smoking, blood clotting normalizes and the risk of heart attack and stroke begins to decrease. Cough and fatigue are reduced from third month after stopping smoking. Bronchial cilia grow back between 1 and 9 months after the last cigarette.

At the same time, the skin ages more slowly, the complexion is brighter, and the teeth turn yellow less quickly. The body becomes more resistant and we get sick less, digestion is easier and heartburn disappears. Sexual health also improves, in terms of fertility and reduction of erectile dysfunction; women can take oral contraception without risk of complications. Stop smoking GOOD before pregnancy also helps reduce, in particular, the risks of miscarriage, premature birth and giving birth to a low birth weight baby.

Stopping smoking also provides psychological benefit, this withdrawal representing a personal victory which strengthens self-esteem and reinforces the feeling of personal effectiveness. This victory over oneself is generally accompanied by an improvement in social representation of the ex-smoker, both among non-smokers and among smokers, since two thirds of the latter also want to quit smoking. Quitting smoking also helps improve concentration, reduce anxiety and get better sleep.

Long term benefits

After a year When you stop smoking, the risk of heart attack is reduced by half. The risk of stroke becomes the same as that of a non-smoker. 5 years after stopping smoking, the risk of developing cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus and bladder is reduced by half. The risk of lung cancer is reduced by half after 10 years smoking cessation, while the risk of laryngeal and pancreatic cancer decreases. 15 years after the last cigarette, the risk of coronary heart disease becomes the same as that of non-smokers. Ultimately, life expectancy increases by 3 to 10 years, depending on the age of smokers when they stop smoking.

If you completely stop smoking using an electronic cigarette, the vaping period must remain limited so as not to expose yourself to other health risks, particularly respiratory risks.[5].

Societal and environmental benefits

Beyond the benefits on the health, morale and economic and social situation of smokers and those around them, quitting smoking also brings benefits:

  • For the environment, by reducing emissions from the production, transport, consumption and waste of tobacco products. This impact is particularly noticeable in regions practicing tobacco cultivation.
  • By avoiding smoking in private homes, we also considerably reduce indoor air pollution and the exposure of those around us to passive smoking.
  • For public health, by limiting the number of pathologies due to tobacco consumption, reducing pressure on healthcare services and contributing to better general health. The rapid reduction in cardiovascular risk explains the almost immediate reduction in health costs upon stopping smoking.
  • For public finances, the gains are observed not only for Social Security, but are also reflected in the State budget.
  • For businesses, as well as for households, a person's quitting smoking is accompanied by more or less visible, but very real, gains (productivity gain and reduction in work stoppages in businesses; increase in household budgets). ).

All of these benefits, personal or collective, should encourage smokers to commit to quitting smoking, and above all to maintain their abstinence over time.

Keywords: smoking cessation, benefits, withdrawal

©Tobacco Free Generation

M.F.


Sources: Santé Publique France, Tabac Info Service, National Committee against Smoking, French Federation of Cardiology.

[1] Pasquereau A, Hochet M, Andler R, Guignard R, Nguyen-Thanh V. Opinions regarding the increase in tobacco taxes and consequences on motivation to quit. Results of the France 2018 Public Health Barometer. Saint-Maurice: Public Health France; 2020. 10 p.

[2] For consumption of one pack/day, the price of a pack of cigarettes in France is €11 in February 2023. The monthly amount must be adjusted according to the number of cigarettes consumed.

[3] Pasquereau A, Andler R, Guignard R, Gautier A, Soullier N, Richard JB, et al, National and regional prevalence of smoking in France in 2021 among 18-75 year olds, according to the Public Health France barometer, Bull Epidemiol Hebd. 2022;(26):470-80.

[4] Jartoux C, Guignard R, Quatremère G, Andler R, Pasquereau A, Nguyen Thanh V. Attitudes of smokers during a health crisis linked to Covid-19: synthesis of qualitative and quantitative studies. Saint-Maurice, Public Health France, 2022, 29 p.

[5] Lung disease associated with vaping, Government of Canada, modified August 29, 2022, consulted December 21, 2022.

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