The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says those who have serious underlying medical conditions, including a compromised immune system, may be at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19 and they have recently added smoking to their list of immunocompromised conditions.
Now may be a good time to quit smoking and your chances of success increase with help. The California Smokers’ Helpline (1-800-NO-BUTTS) offers free support for smokers and vapers (1-888-NO-VAPE). They also provide free nicotine patches to those who qualify.
Some of the benefits of quitting include1:
- Within 20 minutes your heart rate and blood pressure drop.
- Within 12 hours the carbon monoxide level in your blood drops to normal
- Within 2-13 weeks, your circulation improves and your lung function increases
- Within 1-9 months, coughing and shortness of breath decrease
- Within 1 year, your risk of coronary heart disease is about half that of a smoker’s
- Within 5 years, your risk of stroke is reduced to that of a nonsmoker 5 to 15 years after quitting.
- Within 10 years, your risk of lung cancer falls to about half that of a smoker and your risk of
cancer decreases - Within 15 years, the risk of coronary heart disease is that of a nonsmoker’s
For more information and other free cessation resources including apps and text based programs for parents and youth please visit: www.sierracounty.ca.gov/tobaccousereduction
1. https://www.who.int/tobacco/quitting/benefits/en/#:~:text=2%2D12%20weeks%2C%20your%20circulation,to%2015 %20years%20after%20quitting. Accessed June 29, 2020.
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