The vast majority of the population knows that tobacco is bad for health , linking it to such serious problems (among many others) as a much higher probability of suffering from lung cancer, a decrease in life expectancy and severe respiratory (such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) and cardiovascular problems.

Although even today smoking is still socially well regarded, a large number of smokers are considering trying to quit this dangerous dependency.

Although it is difficult and some anxiety usually appears at first, in the long run quitting smoking is highly beneficial. In order to make clear some of the advantages of achieving this, in this article we will see 15 benefits of quitting smoking .

Smoking: a brief definition

Before we begin to name the various benefits of quitting tobacco, it may be advisable to make a small mention of the problem we are dealing with.

Smoking is defined as both physical and especially psychological dependence that a consumer expresses towards tobacco and specifically towards its main component, nicotine . Said dependence comes from a progressive habituation to nicotine, having accustomed the organism to nicotine and requiring increasingly greater amounts of tobacco to notice the same effects and the appearance of a series of physiological symptoms (for example, anxiety)

Tobacco addiction, although culturally and historically well regarded and even associated with moments of relaxation and socialization, has serious consequences for health when consumption is prolonged for years.

As we mentioned in the introduction, it is linked to a decrease in life expectancy , which is usually behind the vast majority of cases of COPD and influences other respiratory diseases , makes blood vessels more fragile and brittle (something that also facilitates cardiovascular problems and favours the appearance of strokes), increases the level of fatigue when faced with physical activity, can generate erectile dysfunction or malformations in foetuses and has been linked for years to the feared lung cancer. These are only some of the possible repercussions that its long-term maintenance can cause.

This information, together with other factors (the fact that it can also affect passive smokers such as children, financial expenditure or reduced ability to sustain physical effort, for example) causes many to try to quit, although the cessation of consumption often generates withdrawal symptoms such as craving, anxiety and irritability.

Quitting Tobacco: Benefits of Cessation

Knowing the advantages for a smoker of quitting , mainly related to the cessation or reduction of the risks or effects of tobacco consumption, can contribute to visualizing the objective as something desirable. It is important to note that such benefits may not be experienced in some cases, where problems have already emerged that will be permanent.

Below are some of the most common benefits.

1. Recovery of normal heart rate and blood pressure

This effect is probably one of the quickest to occur, since it appears within twenty minutes of non-use. An improvement in lung capacity and circulation is also observed already during the first month, and in both cases the improvement increases with time until it is normal.

2. Life expectancy gradually returns to normal

Compared to a non-smoker, someone with a tobacco addiction is reducing his or her life expectancy as a function of his or her consumption and how long ago he or she started. Specifically, quitting before the age of 30 usually implies a life expectancy ten years longer than those who continue to do so , while at the age of forty the average would be nine, at fifty six and at sixty three.

3. Cancer risk is reduced

Lung cancer is probably the disease with which smoking has traditionally been most associated. Besides this, another of the most common in smokers is trachea. These and others such as bladder, pancreas or mouth cancer will see how the cessation of consumption reduces over time its likelihood of occurrence by halving at the age of ten years.

4. Lung capacity is recovered

Although some of the damage will never be reversed, as is the case with life expectancy, some of the lung capacity recovers as the years go by without smoking.

Gradually, the typical bronchitis and disrespect is reduced (although at the beginning of quitting smoking, you usually cough more than before as your body tries to expel the mucus from your lungs), as well as increasing the amount of time you can keep exercising . Fatigue tends to decrease from the first month onwards, in line with the progressive recovery of this lung capacity.

5. Reduced risk of coronary heart disease and stroke

Another of the most common causes of death in smokers is heart disease, something that will gradually decrease as time goes by without consumption. Already during the first year the risks are reduced by almost half, and at 15 years without smoking it is estimated that the risk of coronary disease is already similar to that of a non-smoker.

Similarly, the probability of stroke is reduced to normal (over a period that can range from five to ten years depending on each case). It also reduces the risk of repeated coronary events.

6. Improves the immune system: less chance of getting sick

As a general rule, it has been observed that people who smoke tend to get sick more often than those who do not, and can, for example, catch various infections more easily. This is because tobacco worsens the functioning of the immune system . As time goes by without the ex-smoker consuming, the capacity of this system to defend itself against aggressions and harmful elements will increase again until it becomes normal.

7. Smell and taste return to normal

One of the alterations that those who smoke are probably aware of is the fact that little by little they will be losing their faculties in terms of olfactory and gustatory perception, given that the nervous system will be losing functionality with consumption. Fortunately, with a few days of abstinence these senses return to normal functioning .

8. Decreases the likelihood of injury, broken bones, and muscle problems

While it may not be well known, it has been observed that smokers are more likely to suffer from broken bones or muscle injuries, which in turn tend to take longer to recover. The same is true for surgical injuries. Quitting smoking may not restore the damaged structures, but it may restore the rate of tissue recovery to normal .

9. Less dizziness and headaches

While not true for everyone, it is not uncommon for heavy smokers to suffer from dizziness and headaches caused by the narrowing and increased fragility of blood vessels in the brain, as well as the reduced amount of oxygen reaching the brain.

Those who stop smoking are likely to experience an increase in these symptoms initially, but as the oxygen levels reaching the brain are improved these problems will progressively diminish.

10. Contributes to improving sexuality

It is known that smoking can cause a decrease in erectile capacity in men, something that can be reversed to the point of being able to recover the usual erectile capacity (although this will depend on each case). And not only in the erection itself, but the desire and satisfaction achieved during intercourse is also greater in both sexes as the flow of blood and the oxygenation of the erogenous zones are not hindered by the vasoconstrictive effects of nicotine.

11. Promotes fertility

Another possible effect of smoking is the worsening and loss of quality of semen and sperm, making it difficult to have children. In addition, in the case of pregnancy, the fact that the mother smokes may facilitate the appearance of alterations and malformations in the foetus, as well as miscarriages . Quitting smoking reduces this risk.

12. Healthier skin and teeth

Tobacco also has an adverse effect on the skin, leading to premature skin aging. The teeth are also affected, favouring the arrival of problems such as tartar and pyorrhea and colouring the teeth. Although in this sense the problems that have already appeared do not usually disappear (although the skin usually recovers its shine as well as its elasticity), stopping smoking will prevent them from getting worse.

13. An effect on the economy

Although it is not a direct effect on health, quitting smoking also means the cessation of a habitual and constant expense, as well as an increasingly high expense (as the price increases).

14. Strengthening self-esteem and self-efficacy

Quitting an addiction like tobacco can be extremely hard for sufferers, since both their body and mind have become accustomed to functioning on constant doses of nicotine. Succeeding in quitting, therefore, requires perseverance and strength which, if the final goal is achieved, can foster an improvement in one$0027s self-esteem and confidence in one$0027s own possibilities.

15. Benefits for others

Not only is health itself enhanced by smoking cessation, but the usual close environment will also be less likely to suffer some health problems from passive smoking .

Bibliographic references:

  • American Cancer Society (n.d.). The benefits of quitting smoking over time [Online]. Available at: https://www.cancer.org/es/saludable/mantengase-alejado-del-tabaco/los-beneficios-que-ofrece-dejar-de-fumar-con-el-paso-del-tiempo.html
  • World Health Organization. (n.d.). The main beneficial effects of quitting smoking. Tobacco Free Initiative [Online]. Available at: http://www.who.int/tobacco/quitting/benefits/es/.