If you've kicked the habit, you are to be congratulated and admired. Breaking a nicotine addiction isn't easy.

If you've kicked the habit, you are to be congratulated and admired. Breaking a nicotine addiction isn't easy.

With each smoke-free year that passes, you lower your odds for heart disease, serious breathing problems and cancers of the lungs, mouth, throat, oesophagus, bladder and possibly the pancreas, too.

But you may not be in the clear yet. Your heart and lungs remain at higher risk of disease than those of a non-smoker for up to 20 years after you quit.

Can I undo it? Absolutely
You'll see immediate health improvements shortly after quitting, but the full benefits of quitting take years to reap. Your heart disease risk drops by 50 per cent within a year after you kick the habit, but it's not until 15 years later that your risk of heart disease and stroke fall to the level of someone who's never smoked.

As for lung cancer: after ten smoke-free years, your risk is about a third to half that of continuing smokers; it falls almost to that of someone who's never smoked within 20 years.

Good news: if you take additional steps to improve your health beyond staying smoke-free, you can accelerate the recovery and end up with even more immunity to the diseases most linked to smoking.

Plus benefits
Your skin will look younger and less wrinkled than someone who continues to smoke. You're saving money (cigarettes are expensive) and life's little pleasures – the taste of good food, the smell of spring flowers, the sensation of taking in a big lungful of fresh, rain-washed air – are yours to enjoy again. And then there's the big one: lowered risk of most of the life-threatening diseases.

Repair plan

• Be vigilant Habits and addictions do not die easily. Even if you've been smoke-free for years, it might take just one weak moment to restart your habit. Always be mindful of the benefits of not smoking and the self-respect you've earned in kicking the habit, and do not allow yourself to be tempted.

 

• Stay away from second-hand smoke Passive smoking nearly doubles your odds for a heart attack – and may be even more risky for former smokers whose lungs and cardiovascular systems are still recovering from past insults. By avoiding other people who are smoking, you'll also avoid the risk of temptation to have 'just one' yourself.
  

   

  Avoiding smoke at home, at work and when you're out socialising may be the biggest preventive step a former smoker can take.

• Eat lots of fruits, veggies and whole grains These natural foods are packed with cell-shielding antioxidants that further protect against heart disease, stroke and several forms of cancer. Bonus: you get extra vitamins and cholesterol-lowering fibre.

 

• Get checked out Stay up to date with blood pressure and cholesterol checks. Make regular appointments with your doctor in advance so you don't forget.

 

• Monitor lung health Stay alert for signs of lung problems, such as persistent coughing, shortness of breath and chest pain. Tell your doctor right away if you have these.

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