[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/betterbones.com\/bone-health-basics\/quit-smoking\/#Article","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/betterbones.com\/bone-health-basics\/quit-smoking\/","headline":"The benefits of quitting smoking start 20 minutes after your last cigarette","name":"The benefits of quitting smoking start 20 minutes after your last cigarette","description":"Print PDF eBook Facebook Twitter Gmail LinkedIn Pinterest I was drawn in by a new study that identifies the specific reason smoking weakens bone. The highlight being that benefits of quitting smoking start 20 minutes after your last cigarette Then my colleague \u2014 a former smoker \u2014 asked \u201cWhy not motivate people by telling them […]","datePublished":"2012-09-10","dateModified":"2026-04-28","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/betterbones.com\/author\/brownbetterbonesgmail-com\/#Person","name":"Dr. Susan E. Brown, PhD","url":"https:\/\/betterbones.com\/author\/brownbetterbonesgmail-com\/","identifier":72,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8e08d87bd45250c6616e1752933a6576aba077f335d97ee337a0cde5e435cbd3?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8e08d87bd45250c6616e1752933a6576aba077f335d97ee337a0cde5e435cbd3?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Center for Better Bones","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/betterbones.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/Better-Bones-AMP.png","url":"https:\/\/betterbones.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/Better-Bones-AMP.png","width":150,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/betterbones.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/smoking.png","url":"https:\/\/betterbones.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/smoking.png","height":512,"width":1024},"url":"https:\/\/betterbones.com\/bone-health-basics\/quit-smoking\/","about":["Bone Health Basics"],"wordCount":623,"keywords":["smoking"],"articleBody":" Print PDF eBook\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFacebook\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTwitter\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGmail\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLinkedIn\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPinterest\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tI was drawn in by a new study that identifies the specific reason smoking weakens bone. The highlight being that benefits of quitting smoking start 20 minutes after your last cigaretteThen my colleague \u2014 a former smoker \u2014 asked \u201cWhy not motivate people by telling them how quickly their bodies begin to recover when they quit smoking? It might make a bigger impression rather than going on and on about what will happen if they don\u2019t!\u201dShe\u2019s right!We\u2019ve known about the dangers of smoking since the 1964 report \u201cSmoking and Health: Report of the Advisory Committee to the Surgeon General\u201d and there\u2019s been strong evidence for decades that smoking is a risk factor for osteoporosis.Table of ContentsToggle     3 Minutes ReadAre you aware of how quickly damage can be reversed?What are the benefits of quitting smoking over time? (from the American Cancer Society)Are you aware of how quickly damage can be reversed?In the case of bone, fracture risk appears to decline after 10 years of nonsmoking \u2014 not such a long time if you think about it in terms of your full lifespan.As for the rest of your body, the experts at the American Cancer Society show that the benefits of quitting smoking start a mere 20 minutes after quitting. Here\u2019s their timeline for health improvements.What are the benefits of quitting smoking over time? (from the American Cancer Society)20 minutes after quitting: Your heart rate and blood pressure drop. (Effect of smoking on arterial stiffness and pulse pressure amplification, Mahmud A, Feely J. Hypertension. 2003:41:183)12 hours after quitting: The carbon monoxide level in your blood drops to normal.(US Surgeon General\u2019s Report, 1988, p. 202)2 weeks to 3 months after quitting:Your circulation improves and your lung function increases. (US Surgeon General\u2019s Report, 1990, pp.193, 194,196, 285, 323)1 to 9 months after quitting: Coughing and shortness of breath decrease; cilia (tiny hair-like structures that move mucus out of the lungs) start to regain normal function in the lungs, increasing the ability to handle mucus, clean the lungs, and reduce the risk of infection. (US Surgeon General\u2019s Report, 1990, pp. 285-287, 304)1 year after quitting: The excess risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a continuing smoker\u2019s. (US Surgeon General\u2019s Report, 2010, p. 359)5 years after quitting: Risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, and bladder are cut in half. Cervical cancer risk falls to that of a non-smoker. Stroke risk can fall to that of a non-smoker after 2-5 years. (A Report of the Surgeon General: How Tobacco Smoke Causes Disease – The Biology and Behavioral Basis for Smoking-Attributable Disease Fact Sheet, 2010; and Tobacco Control: Reversal of Risk After Quitting Smoking. IARC Handbooks of Cancer Prevention, Vol. 11. 2007, p 341)10 years after quitting: The risk of dying from lung cancer is about half that of a person who is still smoking. The risk of cancer of the larynx (voice box) and pancreas decreases. (A Report of the Surgeon General: How Tobacco Smoke Causes Disease – The Biology and Behavioral Basis for Smoking-Attributable Disease Fact Sheet, 2010; and US Surgeon General\u2019s Report, 1990, pp. vi, 155, 165)15 years after quitting: The risk of coronary heart disease is that of a non-smoker\u2019s.(Tobacco Control: Reversal of Risk After Quitting Smoking. IARC Handbooks of Cancer Prevention, Vol. 11. 2007. p 11)If you\u2019re feeling motivated the American Cancer Society also offers tips for how to quit smoking. I encourage you to take a look. References:The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism February 1, 2007 vol. 92 no. 2 428-429 doi: 10.1210\/jc.2006-2651\u00a0 http:\/\/jcem.endojournals.org\/content\/92\/2\/428.full (accessed 09.09.12)American Cancer Society report.\u00a0 Guide to Quitting Smoking Benefits (accessed 09.09.12) Explore the full research on this in our resource on how pH balance protects your bones."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Bone Health Basics","item":"https:\/\/betterbones.com\/bone-health-basics\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"The benefits of quitting smoking start 20 minutes after your last cigarette","item":"https:\/\/betterbones.com\/bone-health-basics\/quit-smoking\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]