1. Smoking

2. What’s in a cigarette? Cigarette smoke contains over 4,000 chemicals, including: – 43 known cancer-causing (carcinogenic) compounds – 400 other toxins These include nicotine, tar, and carbon monoxide, as well as formaldehyde, ammonia, hydrogen cyanide, arsenic, and DDT Nicotine is highly addictive – Smoke containing nicotine is inhaled into the lungs, and the nicotine reaches your brain in just six seconds.

4. Benefits of Quitting Smoking 20 minutes: blood pressure drops to a level close to that of before the last cigarette 8 hours: carbon monoxide levels in the blood drops to normal 24 hours: chance of heart attack decreases

5. Benefits of Quitting Smoking 2 weeks- 3 months: circulation improves and lung function increases up to 30% 1- 9 months: coughing, sinus congestion, fatigue and shortness of breath decreases; cilia regain normal function and can clean lungs again 1 year: excess risk of coronary heart disease is ½ that of a smoker

6. Benefits of Quitting Smoking 5 years: stroke risk is reduced to that of a non-smoker 5-15 years after quitting 10 years: lung cancer death rate is about ½ of a smoker’s; risk of mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney and pancreas cancer decreases 15 years: risk of coronary heart disease is that of a non-smokers