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"&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;When you quit smoking, the health benefits begin within minutes of your last cigarette.&amp;lt;br/&amp;gt;&amp;lt;br/&amp;gt;&amp;lt;strong&amp;gt;At 20 minutes after quitting:&amp;lt;/strong&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ul&amp;gt;&amp;lt;li&amp;gt; &amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/what-is-blood-pressure-1298567&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Blood pressure&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt; decreases.&amp;lt;/li&amp;gt;&amp;lt;li&amp;gt; &amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/how-to-determine-the-pulse-rate-1298564&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;2&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Pulse rate&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt; drops.&amp;lt;/li&amp;gt;&amp;lt;li&amp;gt;Body temperature of hands and feet increases.&amp;lt;/li&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/ul&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;strong&amp;gt;At 8 hours smoke-free:&amp;lt;/strong&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ul&amp;gt;&amp;lt;li&amp;gt; &amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/carbon-monoxide-in-cigarette-smoke-2824730&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Carbon monoxide&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt; level in blood drops to normal.&amp;lt;/li&amp;gt;&amp;lt;li&amp;gt; &amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/oxygen-saturation-914796&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;4&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Oxygen level in blood&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt; increases to normal.&amp;lt;/li&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/ul&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;strong&amp;gt;At 24 hours smoke-free:&amp;lt;/strong&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ul&amp;gt;&amp;lt;li&amp;gt;Chance of a &amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/heart-attack-symptoms-1298738&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;5&amp;quot;&amp;gt;heart attack&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt; decreases.&amp;lt;/li&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/ul&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;strong&amp;gt;At 48 hours smoke-free:&amp;lt;/strong&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ul&amp;gt;&amp;lt;li&amp;gt;Nerve endings start to regrow.&amp;lt;/li&amp;gt;&amp;lt;li&amp;gt;Ability to smell and taste improves.&amp;lt;/li&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/ul&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;That&amp;amp;#39;s a lot of improvement for just 48 hours of smoking cessation, and you can look forward to many more in the days and months to come.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;h3&amp;gt;&amp;lt;strong&amp;gt;Deciding to Quit Smoking&amp;lt;/strong&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/h3&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;It takes courage to put down that &amp;lt;a data-inlink=&amp;quot;K33TJ99xWCe-xOq1g_AO7Q&amp;amp;#61;&amp;amp;#61;&amp;quot; href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/after-the-last-cigarette-how-your-body-heals-2824388&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;6&amp;quot;&amp;gt;last cigarette&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt; and quit smoking. Most people feel an intense combination of fear and excitement leading up to their quit date. &amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/why-am-i-so-afraid-to-quit-smoking-2825133&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;7&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Feeling afraid to quit smoking&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt; is completely normal, and is a by-product of &amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/nicotine-addiction-101-2825018&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;8&amp;quot;&amp;gt;nicotine\u00A0addiction&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;. Don&amp;amp;#39;t let that fear paralyze you, however, because the benefits you&amp;amp;#39;ll experience once you quit are well worth the work it takes to achieve.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;h3&amp;gt;&amp;lt;strong&amp;gt;Breaking the Chains of Slavery&amp;lt;/strong&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/h3&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Years of associating literally everything we did in our lives to smoking created powerful links in the chain of psychological dependence we had on nicotine. &amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/the-truth-about-smoking-pleasure-2824757&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;9&amp;quot;&amp;gt;We &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;thought&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt; we enjoyed smoking&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;. We convinced ourselves that smoking calmed our nerves and helped us think more clearly. We thought of cigarettes as a friend, a companion, &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;a buddy&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;. We thought smoking helped us have more fun and enjoy life more fully. Logically, we knew better, but addiction can make people &amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/rationalizations-for-smoking-2824412&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;10&amp;quot;&amp;gt;rationalize&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt; and justify all kinds of crazy notions.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;h3&amp;gt;&amp;lt;strong&amp;gt;The truth of the matter is...&amp;lt;/strong&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/h3&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;...we (understandably) like the feeling of relief we get when &amp;lt;a data-inlink=&amp;quot;CEDDZWDbJa9nxp9J1jf9mg&amp;amp;#61;&amp;amp;#61;&amp;quot; href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/a-profile-of-nicotine-2825020&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;11&amp;quot;&amp;gt;the nicotine level&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt; in our bloodstream is replenished. From the time a cigarette is stubbed out until the next one is lit, smokers are in a state of &amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/nicotine-withdrawal-a-to-z-2824397&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;12&amp;quot;&amp;gt;physical withdrawal from nicotine&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;. The more time between cigarettes, the more severe the withdrawal, resulting in edginess, inability to concentrate, and even feelings of depression. It&amp;amp;#39;s a vicious, never ending cycle.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;h3&amp;gt;&amp;lt;strong&amp;gt;&amp;lt;em&amp;gt;And that is addiction folks, not smoking enjoyment.&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/strong&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/h3&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Read a few &amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/personal-quit-stories-4013074&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;13&amp;quot;&amp;gt;goodbye letters&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt; people have written to their cigarettes as they&amp;amp;#39;ve gone &amp;lt;a data-inlink=&amp;quot;QvJVvoQKiqbmQHvxrfT9zQ&amp;amp;#61;&amp;amp;#61;&amp;quot; href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/why-the-first-year-of-smoking-cessation-is-so-important-2824682&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;14&amp;quot;&amp;gt;through the process of quitting tobacco&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;. These compositions describe how enslaving and self-destructive nicotine addiction\u00A0is, and how &amp;lt;a data-inlink=&amp;quot;84w9BZl2XSPRTAPbe1qtYQ&amp;amp;#61;&amp;amp;#61;&amp;quot; href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/how-to-quit-smoking-successfully-2824544&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;15&amp;quot;&amp;gt;empowering smoking cessation can be.&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;h3&amp;gt;&amp;lt;strong&amp;gt;Support for Your Quit Program&amp;lt;/strong&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/h3&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Support is a key ingredient to a solid quit smoking program. The &amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;http://forums.delphiforums.com/quit_smoking&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;externalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;16&amp;quot; rel=&amp;quot;nofollow&amp;quot;&amp;gt;About\u00A0Smoking Cessation support forum&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;\u00A0offers some of the best quit smoking support the Internet has to offer. You\u2019ll meet people who are going through what you are, or have been there and can offer constructive advice. Your resolve will be bolstered more\u00A0than you can imagine just by being around others who have the same goals you do.\u00A0&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Please remember that quitting tobacco is a process. It takes time. Your courage to take that first step and throw the butts away will be a choice you&amp;amp;#39;ll never regret making. Your life will improve a thousandfold when you have kicked tobacco out of your life, &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;once and for all&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;.&amp;lt;br/&amp;gt;&amp;lt;br/&amp;gt;&amp;lt;strong&amp;gt;Next:\u00A0&amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/quit-smoking-benefits-two-weeks-to-three-months-2824387&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;17&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Quit Smoking Benefits: 2 Weeks to 3 Months&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/strong&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;sub&amp;gt;Source:&amp;lt;br/&amp;gt;&amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/sgr/2004/posters/20mins/&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;externalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;18&amp;quot;&amp;gt;2004 Surgeon General&amp;amp;#39;s Report: Poster: Within 20 Minutes of Quitting&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt; 27 May 2004. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention&amp;lt;/sub&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<https://www.verywell.com/after-you-quit-smoking-the-first-two-days-2824391>