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What happens to your body when you quit smoking?

Your body starts to recover within twenty minutes. An overview of what happens, from the first day to fifteen years later.

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The timeline

  1. 20 minutes

    Your heart rate and blood pressure start to drop.

  2. 12 hours

    The carbon monoxide level in your blood is back to normal, so your blood carries more oxygen again.

  3. 2 to 3 days

    Most of the nicotine has left your body. Smell and taste start to recover. Withdrawal is often at its strongest now.

  4. 2 to 12 weeks

    Your circulation improves and your lungs work better. Climbing stairs and exercise get easier.

  5. 1 to 9 months

    You cough less and are less short of breath. The cilia in your lungs recover and clear mucus again.

  6. 1 year

    Your risk of a heart attack is about half that of someone who keeps smoking.

  7. 5 years

    The risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, oesophagus and bladder has roughly halved. Your stroke risk keeps falling.

  8. 10 years

    Your risk of lung cancer is about half that of someone who keeps smoking.

  9. 15 years

    Your risk of heart disease is close to that of someone who has never smoked.

Sources: WHO, Health benefits of smoking cessation; CDC, Benefits of quitting. These are averages: how fast it goes for you depends on how long and how much you smoked.

What will you notice?

Within a few weeks, many people notice that they breathe more easily, smell and taste better, have more energy and get out of breath less quickly on stairs or when exercising. Your skin gets better blood flow and your teeth discolour less. And you have money left over every month: use the calculator to see exactly how much, and how far your body has recovered since your quit date.

It can get worse before it gets better

In the first weeks you may actually cough more, sleep worse or feel irritable. These are temporary withdrawal symptoms, and a sign that your body is adjusting.

Quitting always pays off

The sooner you quit, the bigger the gain. But it is worth it at any age: even people who quit after fifty or sixty live longer and healthier on average than those who keep smoking. For help quitting, see the methods that work best.

Free

Free webinar: quit smoking in one go (in Dutch)

Free
  • Marcel Borst explains his method
  • Ask your questions live
  • A no-strings way to get to know the approach
Sign up for the webinar →

Most complete

Online programme: the 4-3-2-1 system (in Dutch)

€497instalments available
  • Video modules plus three hypnotherapy sessions
  • Six weeks of daily aftercare
  • 14-day money-back guarantee
View the programme →

Affiliate links: if you buy through these links, we receive a commission. Prices as listed on ikstopwel.nl in September 2026. All Ik Stop Wel products are in Dutch.

Frequently asked questions

Do your lungs recover after quitting smoking?

Partly, yes. Your lung function improves in the first months and the cilia recover. Permanent damage, as with COPD, does not go away, but quitting does slow the decline.

Is it still worth quitting later in life?

Yes. Even people who quit after the age of sixty gain years of life on average and have a lower risk of heart and lung disease.

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