Quit smoking, enjoy benefits immediately

Talk about smoking these days, and the subject is probably cannabis, not nicotiana tabacum solanaceae more commonly known as tobacco.

If you use the latter, however, we hope you will give consideration to today's event, the American Cancer Society's Great American Smokeout.

But I need a cigarette right now, you're probably telling yourself. It's hard to give up something so pleasurable when the payoff is years away.

Not really, according to the American Cancer Society's smokeout site:

* 20 minutes after quitting, your heart rate and blood pressure drop.

* 12 hours after quitting, the carbon monoxide level in your blood drops to normal.

* two to three months after quitting, your circulation improves and your lung function increases.

* one to nine months after quitting, coughing and shortness of breath decrease, cilia (the tiny hair-like structures that move mucus out of the lungs) start to regain normal function, cleaning the lungs and reducing the risk of infection.

* one year after quitting, the excess risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a continuing smoker's.

* five years after quitting, risk of cancer of the mouth, throat esophagus and bladder are cut in half. Cervical cancer risk falls to that of a non-smoker, and the risk of stroke can fall to that of a non-smoker after 2-5 years.

* 10 years after quitting, the risk of dying from lung cancer is about half that of a person who is still smoking. The risk of cancer of the larynx (voice box) and pancreas also decrease.

* 15 years after quitting, the risk of coronary heart disease is that of a non-smoker's.

Those are just a few of the benefits of quitting smoking for good. It lowers the risk of diabetes, lets blood vessels work better and helps the heart and lungs. Quitting while you are younger will reduce your health risks more, but quitting at any age can give back years of life that would be lost by continuing to smoke.

You say you've tried to quit before and failed? The site has some ideas for you as well, no matter what kind of "quitter" you are.

* The backslider, someone who makes several attempts to quit. Quit tip: Avoid alcohol. Drinking lowers your chance of success.

* The substitute, someone who uses distraction and substitutions to help bust cravings. Quit tip: Create new habits and a non-smoking environment around you.

* The enlightened, someone who is motivated to quit for a powerful reason. Quit tip: Remember your reason for quitting and think of all the benefits to your health, your finances and your family.

* The pharmer, someone who uses medicines to help them quit. Quit tip: the best way to quit will be come combination of medicine, a change of personal habits and emotional support.

* The weaner, someone who cuts back gradually. Quit tip: Instead of using a slip as an excuse to go back to smoking, look at what went wrong and renew your commitment to staying away from smoking for good.

We're coming into that time of year when we're faced with many temptations when it comes to consuming food and drink, followed by the traditional time for New Years resolutions.

Why not avoid the rush, quit now, and celebrate a year of better health when next year's Great American Smokeout rolls around again?