If you smoke and decide to quit are you still at risk after few years?

Question

i mean health risks

Answer 1

It depends on which risks you're referring to. While it can take up to 15 years for one's risk of heart disease to decrease to that of a nonsmoker, the risk factors for other problems such as heart attack or stroke start to slowly decrease after a matter of hours or days. Here's a more detailed timeline:

20 minutes after quitting: Your heart rate drops.
(US Surgeon General's Report, 1988, pp. 39, 202)

12 hours after quitting: The carbon monoxide level in your blood drops to normal.
(US Surgeon General's Report, 1988, p. 202)

2 weeks to 3 months after quitting: Your circulation improves and your lung function increases.
(US Surgeon General's 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) regain normal function in the lungs, increasing the ability to handle mucus, clean the lungs, and reduce the risk of infection.
(US Surgeon General's Report, 1990, pp. 285-287, 304)

1 year after quitting: The excess risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a smoker's.
(US Surgeon General's Report, 1990, p. vi)

5 years after quitting: Your stroke risk is reduced to that of a nonsmoker 5-15 years after quitting.
(US Surgeon General's Report, 1990, p. vi)

10 years after quitting: The lung cancer death rate is about half that of a continuing smoker's. The risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, cervix, and pancreas decrease.
(US Surgeon General's Report, 1990, pp. vi, 131, 148, 152, 155, 164,166)

15 years after quitting: The risk of coronary heart disease is that of a nonsmoker's.
(US Surgeon General's Report, 1990, p. vi)

Answer 2

At risk of wanting to smoke again? yes you will probably always have the urge. At risk of health problems? Your body starts to recover from the effects of smoking right after you quit. I remember reading somewhere once that it takes about 7 years for your body to fully repair itself from smoke damage.

Answer 3

You're risk goes down after 15 years, according to reports.

Answer 4

i smoked for 30 years 3 packs of reds a day and stopped. If u stop now u have a good chance of getting your life back together and feel better. By the way it's 3 years for me now and i have no urge to smoke.

Answer 5

YES! I quit smoking for over 2 years, and ended up lighting up again because of personal stress. My willpower just wasn't strong enough.

Eventually I will quit for good, it's truly mind over matter.

Answer 6

yuo`ll always be at risk but the percentage goes down every 2 years

Answer 7

A less of a risk, but still a risk....yes.

Answer 8

no but you really got to quit