SAFE GC Coalition: The Truth About the Immediate Benefits of Quitting Smoking or Vaping Nicotine

According to researchers at The Truth Initiative, quitting smoking has countless short and long-term health benefits, some of which start to impact the body almost immediately after putting down a cigarette. Just 20 minutes after quitting, heart and blood pressure begin to drop. After two weeks, circulation and lung functionality improve. After one year, the risk of coronary heart disease and heart attack is reduced. After 10 years, the risk of dying from lung cancer is 50% less compared to a current smoker.

Quitting smoking has also been associated with reduced depression, anxiety, and stress, as well as improved positive mood and quality of life compared with continuing to smoke. While decades of research have provided a clear picture of how quitting smoking improves physical and mental health, research on quitting e-cigarettes is still emerging. Early studies suggest that some chemicals present in e-cigarette aerosols may increase the risk of certain illnesses such as heart disease or cancer, but additional studies on long-term health effects are needed.

Bodily function starts to improve just 20 minutes after quitting smoking Quitting smoking has life-changing benefits, regardless of age, gender, or race. In the long-term, it reduces the risk of developing, and dying from, diseases like cancer, diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, and more. Research has also found that smoking can interfere with the body’s natural healing process, and quitting may reduce problems associated with your body’s ability to heal wounds.

For those living with chronic conditions, quitting smoking is the first step to better health outcomes, including successful recovery after surgery. A recent study linked quitting at or around the time of a lung cancer diagnosis with survival, and another found patients who quit just before surgery experienced better and faster healing. Even brief periods of abstinence from smoking can improve surgical outcomes.

Quitting smoking has short-term benefits as well. Heart rate and blood pressure start to decrease just 20 minutes after someone stops smoking, and the body’s carbon monoxide levels return to healthy levels after several days. Blood circulation also starts to improve after a few weeks, and as the lungs start to heal, coughing or shortness of breath may be reduced.

While research has shown that quitting smoking benefits mental health, the relationship between vaping nicotine and mental health is still being studied. Some data indicates that the relationship between cigarette smoking and depressive symptoms in young people may also be present for e-cigarettes. A Truth Initiative survey said 90% of respondents who quit e-cigarettes said they felt less stressed, anxious, or depressed, and nearly half (47%) of people in the survey reported feeling more in control after quitting vaping.

Quitting e-cigarettes may also reduce the risk of certain health conditions, but more research is needed. Some chemicals present in e-cigarette aerosols, such as formaldehyde and acrolein, can cause DNA damage and mutagenesis that can lead to cancer, and long-term exposure to e-cigarette aerosols could increase the risk of cancer and adverse reproductive outcomes. When evaluating the risks of e-cigarette use, it is important to note that exposure to harmful chemicals inhaled by e-cigarette users can vary greatly depending on e-cigarette device characteristics (voltage, flavor, nicotine) and how the device is used.

The Truth Initiative is the nation’s largest nonprofit public health organization dedicated to preventing youth and young adult nicotine addiction and empowering quitting. Research is conducted through the Truth Initiative Schroeder Institute that produces independent research to provide evidence for policy change and leadership in cessation research. For more information, please visit www.truthinitiative.org.

SAFE, Inc. is the only alcohol and substance abuse prevention, intervention, and education agency in the City of Glen Cove. Its Coalition is concerned with all combustible and electronic products with tobacco. The Agency employs environmental strategies to educate and update the community regarding the negative consequences of smoking and vaping. To learn more about the SAFE Glen Cove Coalition please follow www.facebook.com/safeglencovecoalition or to learn more about electronic products visit the Youth and Tobacco Use and Vaping Facts and Myths Pages of SAFE’s website to learn more about how vaping is detrimental to your health at www.safeglencove.org.