Why I quit smoking

The anti-tobacco lobby have got it all wrong. All the scare tactics under the sun did nothing to stop me smoking. In fact, bearing in mind my rebellious nature, they made me more determined than ever to smoke. And the cost wasn't a dealbreaker, either. I could always find money for a pack of cigarettes.

So, what the hell made me stop after 30 years? No amount of nagging from ANYBODY, that's for sure. What made me throw it up was the information below. If you're a smoker, maybe it will help you decide. Here are the golden words:

These are some of the more immediate effects of quitting smoking and how they will affect your body right now:
* In 20 minutes your blood pressure will drop back down to normal.
* In 8 hours the carbon monoxide (a toxic gas) levels in your blood stream will drop by half, and oxygen levels will return to normal.
* In 48 hours your chance of having a heart attack will have decreased. All nicotine will have left your body. Your sense of taste and smell will return to a normal level.
* In 72 hours your bronchial tubes will relax, and your energy levels will increase.
* In 2 weeks your circulation will increase, and it will continue to improve for the next 10 weeks.
* In 3 to 9 months coughing, wheezing, and breathing problems will dissipate as your lung capacity improves by 10%.
* In 1 year your risk of having a heart attack will have dropped by half.
* In 5 years your risk of having a stroke returns to that of a non-smoker.
* In 10 years your risk of lung cancer will have returned to that of a non-smoker.
* In 15 years your risk of heart attack will have returned to that of a non-smoker.

Makes interesting reading, doesn't it?

I had my last cigarette on 11 August 2010. Do I miss it? For sure, every single day. If there was a safe way to smoke, I would be out there puffing away. That would be fun.