Smoking harms nearly every organ in the body, causing many diseases, reducing health in general and shortening your life.

A lifetime smoker is at high risk of developing a range of potentially lethal diseases, including:

• Cancer of the lung, mouth, nose, larynx, tongue, nasal sinus, oesophagus, throat, pancreas, bone marrow (myeloid leukaemia), kidney, cervix, ovary, ureter, liver, bladder, bowel and stomach
• Lung diseases such as chronic bronchitis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which includes obstructive bronchiolitis and emphysema
• Coronary artery disease, heart disease, heart attack and stroke
• Ulcers of the digestive system
• Osteoporosis and hip fracture
• Poor blood circulation in feet and hands, which can lead to pain and, in severe cases, gangrene and amputation.

Smoking is currently identified as the largest cause of preventable deaths in Australia.

How quickly will your body recover ?

• After twelve hours almost all of the nicotine is out of your system.
• After twenty-four hours the level of carbon monoxide in your blood has dropped dramatically. You now have more oxygen in your bloodstream.
• After five days most nicotine by-products have gone.
• Within days your sense of taste and smell improves.
• Within a month your blood pressure returns to its normal level and your immune system begins to show signs of recovery.
• Within two months your lungs will no longer be producing extra phlegm caused by smoking.
• After twelve months your increased risk of dying from heart disease is half that of a continuing smoker.
• Stopping smoking reduces the incidence and progression of lung disease including chronic bronchitis and emphysema.
• After ten years of stopping your risk of lung cancer is less than half that of a continuing smoker and continues to decline (provided the disease is not already present).
• After fifteen years your risk of heart attack and stroke is almost the same as that of a person who has never smoked.