Healthbolt Graphics #1: What Happens to Your Body if You Stop Smoking Right Now
by 
Wade Meredith on June 11th, 2007
(Click for high-res)
On July 19th, 2006, I published a post called “What happens to Your Body if You Stop Smoking Right Now?” It received 1/4 million hits within 24 hours, and a handful of comments. Since that date it has gained a life of it’s own, as it accumulates millions of views as well as pages and pages of responses from readers. With people either detailing their own successes/failures to put down the puff, or offering advice for those of us wanting to do the same, the comments section has turned into an impromptu support group, and forum for, discussing nicotine addiction.
I’m now pleased to offer this 18″X24″ graphic representation of the post, and the conversation it inspired. It includes the time line, detailing the physiological changes your body starts to experience the moment you stop smoking. The graphic in the center is made up of some of (they wouldn’t all fit) the reader comments on the article. I am selling a high-quality print. I’m also offering a free, print-quality, zipped .pdf file for download for the next 30 days.
Each poster is printed on 18″x24″ heavy semi-gloss paper using a roll-fed Xeikon 5000 with LED array-based dry toner electrophotography at 600 DPI with variable dot density (4 bit). This provides for exceptional print quality and much more reliable colorfastness than traditional offset printing.
Shipping is free within North America; allow two-weeks for delivery. If you’d like to receive these elsewhere in the world, or if you work for a university or other institution, and want a larger bulk discount (50 or more), please contact me here.
Free print-quality .pdf - 18mb download; unzips to 54mb .pdf (This link will work for 30 Days)
This work is published under a
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 License.
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POSTED IN: Addiction, Announcement, Blogosphere, Cancer, Healthbolt Gear, Healthbolt Graphics, Paper, Science, Smoking, Treatment, Your Mind
43 opinions for Healthbolt Graphics #1: What Happens to Your Body if You Stop Smoking Right Now
Jul 15, 2007 at 10:34 am
I think my body would go into shock first. But reading the article is driving me to quit. It is rather odd, I use to fuss at my mother for smoking and now look at me.
There are times I really want to quit, I hate the smell in my clothes, hair and skin but everytime I say no more, some stressful sitution arise and I reach for the pack.
Any suggestions websites which will help me.
Jul 24, 2007 at 10:21 am
×èñòîòåë â êâàñå íà ìîëî÷íîé ñûâîðîòêå.
Êâàñû èç ÷èñòîòåëà íà îñíîâå ìîëî÷íîé ñûâîðîòêè
×èñòîòåë
Jul 30, 2007 at 2:54 pm
For nerves i suggest a tranquilizer. Go to the doctor and get one.
Aug 4, 2007 at 7:55 am
I think that one of the most successful methods to stop smoking is in your brain. Think about when you were young and fit, when your lungs were so healthy… when you were a child. Think of the good old times… Now think what you are doing to YOU. Forget the stress. People stress all the time. Find another thing to relieve your from stress. I managed to stop smoking… and what was my replacement? A 2-litre bottle of water by my side all the time! The water used to make me feel so healthy, that I could never go back to nicotine.
Aug 4, 2007 at 8:40 am
Linkback:
http://coolinfographics.blogspot.com/2007/07/healthbolt.html
I shared this with a number of friends, and I can’t tell you how many people really appreciated understanding that their symptoms were normal.
Aug 14, 2007 at 6:36 am
Well done!
Aug 25, 2007 at 10:12 pm
I have quit for about two weeks now(2 packs a day for 13 years) and at its hardest I would say it was only SLIGHTLY difficult. My cravings are gone as soon as I realize what I am missing. I recommend to anyone who is quitting to get a copy of Allen Carr’s The Easy Way to Quit Smoking
This book is amazing!! It takes care of the mental aspect, while I am also using chantix for the physical
part.
Had I known it was this easy I would of quit years ago!!
Aug 25, 2007 at 10:37 pm
Btw, no gum, straws, rubberbands etc… required at all.
Aug 30, 2007 at 12:38 pm
I just got done taking chantix and i have been smoke free for two months and loving everybit of it!!! i took up running again and playing sports. i for ten years one to two packs a day. i haven’t gained any weight actually i lost ten. there is a way to quit!!! try chantix i stand by it ahnd i know so many others do to!!!
Sep 3, 2007 at 7:15 am
Chantix works! I used it for one month and was able to quit. I have smoke free for 15 weeks. I was at least a pack a day smoker for 11 years. I don’t really feel all that different, but I know I am different. No real cravings, just habits to break.
Sep 11, 2007 at 2:28 pm
I don’t smoke, but my husband just recently quit. At first I thought it was a bad idea (not to quit, but when he was going to do it) it was when we went on vacation. But it worked! He hasn’t smoked for almost 3 months and trust me I’ve been there when he tried to quit in the past and it wasn’t very nice, but going on vacation, he was free from all the everyday stress, like work, bills and etc…so it was indeed the perfect time for him to quit and I must say I never even notice that he was being cranky, so all you spouses of smokers, go on vacation!
Sep 11, 2007 at 3:14 pm
In response to my lovely Wife. It also helped me by not consuming the other Evil … Alchohol….Quit the booze , then you can Quit the Smoke…then go on vacation with all the money you save!!! :)
Sep 21, 2007 at 1:06 pm
Witnessing my 48 yr old boyfriend have a heart attack prompted me to quit. After smoking nearly non-stop since 17, except while pregnant or nursing. I did feel sleeping and had blurry vision the first 2 days. Here it is 5 days with no smoking and it’s getting easier. Going back now would be tough ’cause I really don’t want to have to repeat the last 5 days again. Sometimes I actually felt as though I was mourning a freind. Now my pride and ability to smell and taste again is a great reason to stay quit. This time is for real, is forever.
Oct 8, 2007 at 4:33 pm
I quit on Sept. 17. It’s going really well, primarily because of a book I used to help me: The Easy Way to Stop Smoking by Allen Carr. I highly recommend it.
I can relate completely to everything that has been said about the difficulty of quitting. I know I never want to smoke again. And I never want to have a first day of quitting ever again. I want to feel like a non-smoker, not an ex-smoker.
Oct 17, 2007 at 1:21 pm
I have been smoking for nearly 5 years. And even though I don’t smoke a lot, just some cigarettes per day. This realy damages my health. when I sleep at night, problems of breathing arouse. I really feel sick and want to quit… I JUST want to feel like a non-smoker and touch the good smelling again.
Oct 19, 2007 at 11:48 am
I agree with greg that allen carrs easy way to stop smoking helped me to change my perception about smoking and helped me to see that the cigarette I had just smoked was putting the drug in me ,the nicotine to make me want the next cigarette in an hours time,so all I had to do was not have the next cig and that would become the one I just didn’t smoke and so no more drug (nicotine) to make me want the next one.
God helped as well!
good luck!
Nov 2, 2007 at 8:53 am
QuitSmoking Counter will tell you exactly!
The online counter that measures smoking cessation and the length of time the person has stopped smoking, money you saved and extra live gained!
http://www.quitsmokingcounter.com/
Nov 7, 2007 at 12:53 pm
I just quit 5 days ago Chantix…I tried gum, patchs, Zyban. this stuff really takes the edge off I still want to smoke just not as much I am not as shacky or fuzzy as in the past and trust me on this day 5 is much easier than day 4 than day 3, etc. So I guess what I am saying is it seams to get a little bit easier each day. I read a lot about this Chantix i herd good and bad but three people I work with quit in the last few months with it so I gave it a try…So far so good.
Nov 18, 2007 at 7:53 am
I started Chantix in July 07 and quit smoking after 7 days on the drug. I’m so thrilled to have quit smoking. It’s been 121 days, I don’t wheeze any more, my family is thrilled and I can’t say enough about the drug, nothing else I tried worked. I smoked for 36 years. I only took Chantix for 5 weeks and have continued to not smoke. I will never go back ~ never. Couldn’t have done it without this drug. I do belong to the Chantix support email program and check in daily and now twice a week.
Dec 3, 2007 at 8:46 am
chantix works. on day 9 i smoked like crazy in the morning but since then i just quit. no craving, no craze, a little irritable and insomnia. but what the heck, i dont smell and i plan to go back to the gym. great chart by the way…
Jan 16, 2008 at 4:53 am
I’ve just read Allen Carr’s “Easy Way To Stop Smoking”, and I am happy to say that I will never smoke again. It took me less than a day to read the it and only a few minutes to quit. This book is the best way to stop smoking. Very easy and no effort. Please try.
Jan 19, 2008 at 7:27 am
I have been a non smoker for 18 days now. I have had my ups and downs, mainly in the first week, but it is getting easier. I have been using the gum when I felt a diffiult patch. I was a 20 a day smoker for more than 20 years and really enjoyed smoking, but after the loss of a family member to lung cancer I was shocked into taking action. I had tried many times in the past to give up, but always gave in within a few days, so I didn’t expect this time to be any different. I find when I have a bad patch, I do a bit of exercise, this motivates me to continue, as I found it almost impossible to exercise whilst smoking, so I see immediately the benefits of giving up. Its all about changing the routines we associate with smoking. I always enjoyed my first cigarette of the day with a cup of tea, now I get up and drink a glass of OJ and don’t miss that cigarette. Its all about having a plan of action for when those cravings hit you and not giving in.
Jan 20, 2008 at 5:46 pm
I didn’t smoke until I was out of high school. Should of never started but I did cause it was cool. After 35 years and 3 packs a day I decided to quit. All I can say is JUST DO IT. It is now a year later and if your mind say’s no your body will follow. Good Luck take a deep breath and just do it.
Jan 27, 2008 at 10:43 am
I tried Chantix,it made me feel weird,made me feel restless at night,and hard to go bathroom for days.Now trying the patch,been four days now,hacking up all the mucus,blowing out all te snot from my nasal passages,snooking up all the slime in my brain and spitting it out again,I guess my body is rejecting all the damage from smoking.
Feb 6, 2008 at 7:58 pm
Chantix. Works for me. Day 28.
Gave all my smokes and green to a friend. He gave me some white back. I have absolutely NO URGE TO SMOKE. I don’t want anything more foreign in my chest.
Rob
np - Bowie
Feb 12, 2008 at 2:12 am
…On and off for 2years now. 1 year off… and still going.
Just wondering if anybody else might think the same, but in a packet of cigarettes every so often you find one or so, that has a particular _intense_ smell or taste? Like a _hook_ type gimmick?
Just wondering.
~Snaff
Feb 12, 2008 at 5:55 pm
I started smoking when I was 16 years old. For 45 years now I have smoked 1-2 packs a day. I am a Registered Nurse and have cared for patients in the terminal stages of lung cancer. I have suctioned patients and have seen lung tissue in the suctioned material and yet with my experiences and knowledge I have been powerless to stop the habit. Even vanity,guilt and concern from loved ones could not help. I have tried many times and have used gum,patches,Zyban,nicotine inhalers and cold turkey with no success. I had even tried the new medication Chantix. It gave me such horrible headaches and nausea I stopped using it. Three weeks ago I deceided to give Chantix another try. I consulted with the physician I work with and she told me to take the medication only as directed and to set the stop date and do not smoke even one cig after that time. This was my mistake the first time I tried it. I would continue to smoke 1-2 cigarettes a day and that was what caused the headaces and nausea. I have been nicotine free for three weeks. I can breath, I no longer have to use albuteral and Advair inhalers, I can walk for more then a block,I don’t cough,my blood pressure is back to 128/74, I smell good,my sense of taste has returned,I probably wont have to carry around an oxygen bottle, and hopefully the wrinkles will slow down. If I can quit anybody can. Good luck to everyone who tries. Remember even if you try and fail the next time just might be the time you suceed.Your health is your most valuable asset because without it everything in your life becomes more difficult.
Feb 12, 2008 at 9:33 pm
That is wonderful Becky. I am very similar to you, started at a very young age and smoked for 35 years. I never-never-never thought I could be successful at quiting smoking but Chantix gave me the power to quit. I only used it for one month and I’m 32 weeks, 2 days and 22 hours being nicotine frree. I have saved 4 weeks of my life. I can breathe, walk and feel the monkey off my back. It is such a wonderful feeling! I couldn’t have done it without Chantix.
Feb 17, 2008 at 11:11 pm
day 2 almost done. yay me…..I also read Allen Carr’s book. A few times. It all makes sense, of course, but I still viewed it as ‘a sacrifice’ when I had my last cig. It’s so easy to just have one more. Like he says, it’s never one that kills you. Anyway, circled Feb 15 on the calender a few weeks ago; made sure I smoked as much as I wanted up to that date- no guilt- then woke up clean. Euphoric at times, depressing at times. Mostly euphoric though. So nice not to have to hide the stench and constantly think about death whilst puffing one back…..
Mar 11, 2008 at 1:35 pm
Allen Carr’s book is excellent. I have since passed my copy along to another for inspiration, and it has been passed on again, and again. Another good resource is stopsmokingcenter.net
My Quit Date: 10/19/2005
Smoke-Free Days: 874
Cigarettes Not Smoked: 17,493
Amount Saved: $2971.6
Life Gained:
Days: 95 Hrs: 9 Mins: 59 Seconds: 4
Mar 14, 2008 at 8:56 am
i guess you can say something good has come out of my self by comming down with flu going into pneonmonia its a month now and no cravings did so much coughing i told myself id never have another ciggetette i can smell alot better still getting over the breathing pain , but i guess it was a mesege given to me to stop smokeing ,
Mar 20, 2008 at 8:36 am
Well it’s been 20 days today, woohoo for me!! I smoked for 39 yrs @ 3 1/2 to 4 packs a day. So you know quitting for me was/is hard. I’m on the Patch, that’s the only way I can do it. I’ve tried like most people and failed many times. This time though it’s different. I’m doing it for ME, no one else, but ME. Before I would try to quit because of family/spouse pressure, but I wasn’t ready to quit yet. Now I am and I feel much better!!!
Remember, it’s NOT going to work if you’re doing it for someone else, it has to be YOU that wants to quit. And you have to stick with it, no matter what!! I’m still getting the cravings and I also still catch myself reaching for the pack. Those are just habits that I need to stop. In time it will all be over and I will be smoke free once again after 39 yrs……… Good Luck to everyone who is trying and congrats to all of you that have kicked the habit for a year or more!!!
ROK :)
Mar 20, 2008 at 8:49 am
Oh I forgot to ask in my last comment, has anyone else noticed unusualy strong odors when you go to the toilet? (sorry, I didn’t know how to put it, lol) I’ve noticed some pretty strong odors from my urine and bowles. More than normal smells, kind of like an “out-house” odor. Someone said it’s the Poisons and Toxins leaving your body. Has anyone else heard of this or had this condition? Some days it’s stronger than others, and NO it’s not from the foods I’m eating. I haven’t changed my eating habits. I appreciate any comments or experiences in this area.
Thanks,
ROK
Mar 30, 2008 at 6:02 pm
Hello,I am on day 13 of Chantix and have not had a cigarette in 5 days. I am 39 and had smoked since I was 14 yrs old. There for the last few years, I was up to 2 pks a day and even more if I went out drinking. I am very fortunate in the fact that I have not had any of the side effects I hear everyone talk about. I have gained a few pounds and am still not comfortable going out in the real world other then work until I know I am done with the cigarettes. I am also thinking I will only take the Chantix for 30 day. I am hoping to be able to go out and start jogging again and lose some weight. I wonder how long it takes the lungs to be healthy enough for me to do that?
Mar 31, 2008 at 4:49 am
I hve now done 90 days without a cigarette. I started off with the patches, and although they worked, I still had strong cravings. I decided to give the gum a go, and it has worked a treat.
My cravings are very few and far between now. I feel great, the only downside is that I have gained a stone in weight, but I can work at bringing that back down.
I won’t be going back to smoking now.
It is considered so anti social these days to smoke and there is nowhere other than outside that a person can smoke, I think this has helped me though, knowing I can’t smoke and not having to smell tobacco everywhere I go.
Apr 5, 2008 at 9:11 am
i am a non smoker now thanks to chantix,i quit nov. 19, 07. i have never felt better, i used the treatment as it said to do, and im smoke free. patti, north carolina this is the greatest medicine ever, its a miracle.
Apr 5, 2008 at 9:18 am
i also quit smoking using chantix feb. 14- 08, ive smoked most of my life and now im smoke free thanks to this wonder drug. eli, north carolina
Apr 12, 2008 at 12:49 am
i too am on day 5 without a fag and on day 16 of taking champix as they call it in the uk i was a 30 a day smoker and had also tried all of the other methods available, i never thought that champix would really be any different, but hey no real mood swings which i am sure my husband is greatful, i think this drug is a miracle cure my only worry is coming off champix and then returning to ciggies
Apr 12, 2008 at 10:30 am
I am on day 267 and had no problems after coming off the drug. I only took it for 6 weeks. I have no desire to smoke which is a miracle. I smoked for 30+ years. I never had any mood swings. I still smile, get chills and a tear in my eye every time I think that I DID IT and I’M A NON SMOKER!
Apr 12, 2008 at 9:30 pm
Touched
Apr 12, 2008 at 9:32 pm
Inspired
Apr 30, 2008 at 12:29 pm
i am now going into my second week smoke free!!!! I have tried everything in the past to quit and finally chantix is what has helped…i smoked a pack a day for the past 35 years and smoked while taking the chantix for the first month but little by little i wantyed the cigs less and less while taking the pill….after the first month i just quit buying and wanting cigs…than after another 2 weeks of the pill i just stopped taking them and havent wanted or needed either since. Best of luck to anyone goin thru this it is hard but chantix has helped me and talking with others going thru this who understand has helped
Apr 30, 2008 at 11:47 pm
This is an awesome graph! Great job on making it. I just have one question though (sorry if it was answered somewhere previously, I was not able to find it):
What stats do we have on the person who smoked? I mean are these figures based on someone who has smoked one pack a day for lets say 5 years? So in that sense, if someone smoked for 5 years, it will take 15 years before everything goes back to normal.
Or is it one pack a day for 10 years? 2 years? 2 packs a day maybe?
I am curious as to what variables were put in place while comming up with those time lines.
I am no expert but I think there is variability with how long and how much and what miligram of nicotine you have had before those things above can be taken into account.
Hope to see a reply soon either via email or here on blog.
Kind regards and keep up the excellent work.
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