Money to burn?

If I gave you a $50 bill, you wouldn’t think of lighting it on fire right? With an average price of $8.00 for a pack of cigarettes in Massachusetts, that’s exactly what you’re doing each week—and that’s if you only smoke one pack a day! (Double that if there are two smokers in your family.)

Smoking is addictive and you may think it will be years before you see the benefits of quitting (both financially and health wise). Here’s a timeline with some of the more immediate physical effects of quitting:

In 20 minutes your blood pressure will drop back down to normal
In 8 hours the carbon monoxide (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