Knowledge and Information You may find it helps to stay motivated about quitting to keep up to date with the science surrounding tobacco and smoking. Finding out how other quitters faced and dealt with their challenges can also give you ideas that help you on your own quitting journey.
One resource that offers both these types of information and more is the About.com Smoking Cessation website.
Another resource that may help keep you motivated is the "Within 20 Minutes of Quitting" poster from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The poster, included in the 2004 US Surgeon General's Report, lists the following statements:
20 minutes after quitting: your heart rate drops.
12 hours after quitting: carbon monoxide in your blood drops to normal.
2 weeks to 3 months after quitting: your heart attack risk begins to drop; your lung function begins to improve.
1 to 9 months after quitting: your coughing and shortness of breath decrease.
1 year after quitting: your added risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a smoker's.
5 years after quitting: your stroke risk is reduced to that of a non-smoker's 5 - 15 years after quitting.
10 years after quitting: your lung cancer death rate is about half that of a smoker's; your risk of cancers of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney and pancreas decreases.
15 years after quitting: your risk of coronary heart disease is back to that of a non-smoker's.
You can also pick up leaflets, books, motivational CDs, and other resources at your doctor's, local clinic, health centre and library.