The Benefits Of Staying Quit | Make Smoking History

The single best thing you can do for your health and your future is to quit smoking. The moment you stop smoking your body begins to repair itself and your risk of developing a smoking-related illness begins to decrease. You'll also save a heap of money.

It is never too late to benefit from quitting smoking. Quitting smoking has major health benefits at any age, even if you're already living with a smoking-related illness.

Whether it’s for your health, your finances, or to protect the health of your friends and family, explore the benefits of staying quit.

How your health improves after quitting

Find out more about how your health improves after your last cigarette.

The first month

20 minutes

Your blood pressure and pulse rate begin to normalise
The body temperature of your hands and feet returns to normal

1 hour

Your resting heart rate begins to decrease

4 hours

Breath becomes fresher

12 hours

Almost all of the nicotine is out of your system

24 hours

The risk of heart attack starts to decrease
The excess carbon monoxide in your blood has decreased
The oxygen level in blood increases, helping your circulation

48 hours

Your nerve endings start to regrow
Your sense of smell and taste begin to improve

1 week

Your lungs' natural cleaning system starts to heal and become better at removing mucus, tar and dust from your lungs

4 weeks

Circulation continues to improve
Walking becomes easier
Your body is better at fighting off infections in cuts and wounds

The first year

3 months

Your blood is less thick and sticky, allowing blood flow to improve
Your skin appearance begins to improve
Your lung function continues to improve, making it easier to remove mucus, tar and dust
Tobacco stains on your fingers start to fade

9 months

Coughing, sinus congestion, and shortness of breath all decrease
Cilia regrow in your lungs, increasing the ability to 'clean lungs'
Your overall energy increases
Stress levels are lower than when you were smoking
Your immune system should be better at fighting off colds and flu

12 months

Your increased risk of coronary heart disease is halved (compared to someone who smokes)

Long term

5 years

Stroke risk is reduced to that of someone who doesn't smoke from as early as 5 years after quitting

10 years

Increased risk of lung cancer can drop to half that of someone who continues to smoke
Risk of other cancers decreases, including laryngeal, oral cavity, oesophageal, bladder, cervical and pancreatic cancers

15 years

Risk of heart attack and stroke is similar to that of someone who doesn't smoke

Reducing your health risks

The biggest benefit of quitting smoking is for your health.

When you quit smoking, you reduce the risk of preventable damage to almost every part of your body.

As your body recovers from smoking, your immune system starts to improve, making you less susceptible to infections. Your risk of multiple different types of cancer decreases, and respiratory conditions such as asthma can improve.

You will also reduce your risk of serious and sometimes irreversible damage to your teeth and eyes.

By quitting, you’re reducing these long-term risks, and you can live a much healthier and active lifestyle.

Even if you already have a serious condition like emphysema or cancer, quitting smoking improves treatment effectiveness and your long-term outcomes.

Woman jogging outdoors alongside a black and white dog.

Increase your savings

Smoking is an expensive habit that can save you a lot when you quit.

For example, a single stick can cost $1.70 or more. If you smoke 20 per day, you’re spending over $12,000 a year on cigarettes.

Seeing how much you could save from not smoking can be a big motivator when deciding to quit.

Try using our quit savings calculator to see how much you could be saving.

Check how much you could save

Reduce the health risks for your friends, family and for babies in the womb

There are major health-related issues that are caused or worsened by smoking. Not only are you impacting your own health, but you can also impact the health of your friends and family when you smoke around them.

When you exhale smoke, others around you breathe it in. This is known as passive smoking, and it’s just as dangerous as if they were smoking themselves.

Smoking is also dangerous during pregnancies. If you or your partner smoke and are wanting to get pregnant, smoking can also make it more difficult to fall pregnant, and it can cause harm to your developing baby.

The safest option to protect your loved ones is to not smoke.

Man holding a newborn baby in a hospital.

Create your personalised quit plan

Starting the process of quitting smoking is the hardest part, but there are many benefits to staying quit in the long run. Whether you're just starting or have already begun your journey, putting these into a plan is the best way to remember why you’re quitting.

Create your plan