Quitting smoking can begin benefiting your health within 20 minutes. Over time, stopping can support your heart and lungs, improve taste and smell, reduce smoking-related health risks and save money. The timing and extent of these changes vary, but quitting is beneficial at any age.
When you’re considering whether to quit, it can help to focus on what you may gain. Some changes begin soon after your last cigarette, while others develop over months or years.
This article explains the physical, mental, everyday and financial benefits of quitting smoking. It provides general health information, not personal medical advice.
Key Takeaways
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Changes can begin soon after your last cigarette and continue over time.
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Quitting can benefit your physical health, mental wellbeing and household finances, although individual experiences vary.
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Stopping smoking is beneficial at any age, including after many years of smoking.
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Australian adults can seek support through doctors, pharmacists and Quitline. myduke® also provides an online clinical assessment pathway.
When Do the Health Benefits of Quitting Smoking Begin?
Your body begins responding after you stop smoking. The following timeline is based on current information from the Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing.
The timing and extent of these changes vary according to factors such as how much you smoked, how long you smoked and your overall health.
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Time since your last cigarette |
What may be happening |
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After 20 minutes |
Your heart rate begins to slow, and your blood pressure decreases. |
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Within one day |
Almost all nicotine is out of your bloodstream. Carbon monoxide in your blood falls to a normal level, allowing oxygen to reach your heart and muscles more easily. |
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Within one week |
Your senses of taste and smell may improve. Your lungs’ natural cleaning system also begins to recover. |
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Within two months |
Coughing and wheezing may decrease. Blood flow to your hands and feet improves, and your immune system begins recovering. |
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Within six months |
Your lungs may produce less phlegm and work more efficiently. |
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After one year |
Your lungs have had more time to recover, and breathing may be easier than it would have been if you had continued smoking. |
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Within two to five years |
Your risk of heart attack and stroke drops substantially and continues decreasing over time. |
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After 10 years |
Your risk of lung cancer may fall by half, provided the disease was not already present when you quit. |
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After 15 years |
Your risk of heart attack and stroke may approach that of someone who has never smoked. |
These milestones are general estimates, not promises about an individual outcome. Speak with a doctor if you have concerns about your heart, lungs or other aspects of your health.
Can Quitting Smoking Benefit Your Mental Wellbeing?
Some people worry that quitting will make it more difficult to manage stress. Smoking may seem calming because nicotine temporarily relieves the withdrawal symptoms that develop between cigarettes. This can create a cycle in which withdrawal feels like stress and smoking briefly relieves it.
The early stages of quitting can still be challenging. Nicotine withdrawal may cause irritability, anxiety, low mood, restlessness or difficulty concentrating. According to Quit, withdrawal is often strongest during the first week and commonly fades over approximately two to four weeks.
Over the following months, some people report feeling less stressed, anxious or depressed after stopping nicotine. Individual experiences vary, and quitting should not be treated as a replacement for mental-health care.
If you live with a mental-health condition, speak with your doctor when preparing to quit. Stopping smoking can affect how the body processes certain medicines, so your treatment may need to be monitored or adjusted. Seek professional support if changes in mood are severe, persistent or concerning.
How Much Money Could You Save by Quitting Smoking?
The amount you could save depends on how many cigarettes you smoke, the products you currently purchase and how much you pay.
A simple way to estimate your potential savings is to calculate:
Amount spent each day × 7 = weekly cost
Amount spent each day × 365 = approximate annual cost
For example, someone spending $30 per day would spend approximately $210 per week or $10,950 per year. This is an illustration only; your actual spending may be higher or lower.
You can use Quit’s cost-savings tools to calculate your own figure. Looking at your personal cost can make the financial benefit more meaningful than relying on a national estimate.
Money that would otherwise have been spent on cigarettes could be redirected towards regular household expenses, savings or something personally important. You choose what to do with it.
What Everyday Changes May You Notice?
Not every benefit shows up on a medical test. Some of the most noticeable changes can occur in everyday life.
Taste and Smell
Your senses of taste and smell may begin improving within the first week. Food may taste different as these senses recover.
Breath, Clothing and Surroundings
Once you stop smoking, your breath, hair, clothes, car and home are no longer being continually exposed to fresh tobacco smoke. Lingering odours may gradually fade.
Teeth and Gums
Stopping smoking prevents further tobacco-smoke exposure that can contribute to tooth staining and oral-health problems. Existing staining may require professional dental care.
Physical Activity
As your circulation and lungs recover, activities such as walking or climbing stairs may become more comfortable. The timing and extent of improvement vary by individual.
Time and Daily Routine
Smoking can take up a significant part of the day. Quitting may give you more time for work, family, hobbies or rest. It can also reduce the need to plan activities around smoking breaks or places where smoking is permitted.
How Does Quitting Protect Other People?
Stopping smoking also reduces other people’s exposure to secondhand smoke.
Secondhand smoke can affect partners, family members, children and other people nearby. By stopping, you remove ongoing tobacco-smoke exposure from shared environments such as your home and car.
Reducing this exposure can be an important personal reason to quit. It does not need to be framed through guilt: it is one of several positive changes that can follow from becoming smoke-free.
Is It Ever Too Late to Quit Smoking?
Stopping smoking is beneficial at any age. You can still gain health benefits if you have smoked for many years or have previously tried to quit.
Quitting earlier gives your body more time to recover, but that doesn't mean there is a point when stopping no longer matters. Some changes begin soon after your last cigarette, while longer-term risks continue decreasing over time.
Quitting may take more than one attempt. A previous attempt can help you identify your triggers, understand which situations were difficult and decide what support you may need next.
What Support Is Available When You Quit?
Support may include behavioural strategies, counselling, nicotine replacement therapy and prescription options considered by a healthcare practitioner.
Australia’s Quitline provides free and confidential support on 13 7848. A Quitline counsellor can help you prepare a quit plan, identify triggers and respond to setbacks.
A doctor or pharmacist can also discuss treatment options and help you decide what may be appropriate for your circumstances.
Nicotine Replacement Therapy
Nicotine replacement therapy, or NRT, can help manage cravings and withdrawal while you work towards stopping smoking. Available forms include:
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Patches
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Gum
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Lozenges
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Mouth spray
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Inhalators
Patches provide nicotine steadily over time. You can use faster-acting forms when a craving occurs or before an expected trigger.
Many NRT products are registered medicines and are available without a prescription. A doctor or pharmacist can advise you on suitability, dosage, and correct use, particularly if you are pregnant, have a long-term health condition, or take other medicines.
Prescription and Other Therapeutic Pathways
A doctor may consider prescription treatment for some adults following an individual clinical assessment. Treatment is not suitable for everyone, and the prescribing practitioner must exercise independent clinical judgement.
Therapeutic vaping may be considered for some adults within a smoking-cessation or nicotine-dependence pathway. It is not a first-line option, and access depends on clinical suitability and applicable Commonwealth, state or territory requirements. The evidence relating to smoking cessation does not necessarily apply in the same way to quitting vaping.
Therapeutic vaping goods are not included in the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods. Products on the TGA’s notified list have not been evaluated by the TGA for quality, safety, efficacy or performance. Notification is not the same as TGA approval.
Where therapeutic vaping goods are supplied, they must be obtained through participating pharmacies and comply with the relevant regulatory requirements. A pharmacist consultation, treatment plan or prescription may be required depending on nicotine concentration, clinical needs and the laws that apply in the patient’s state or territory.
Smoking cessation or nicotine dependency products are unapproved therapeutic goods. The TGA has not evaluated them for safety, quality, or efficacy.
How Does the myduke® Clinical Pathway Work?
myduke® is an Australian clinical health service for adults seeking support with smoking cessation or nicotine dependence. It provides an online assessment pathway accessible across Australia, including regional and remote areas.
The process involves:
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Online health assessment: You provide information about your health, nicotine use, previous quit attempts and goals.
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Independent clinical review: An independent AHPRA-registered doctor reviews the information and decides whether prescription treatment is clinically appropriate.
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Pharmacy dispensing: Where a doctor prescribes treatment, it is dispensed through an authorised Australian pharmacy partner.
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Ongoing review: Continued oversight may include treatment monitoring and step-down guidance where appropriate.
Completing an assessment does not guarantee approval, a prescription, a treatment plan or access to a particular treatment. The questionnaire supports the clinical review but does not replace the practitioner’s independent judgement.
You can learn more about how the myduke® pathway works or review general information about the stages of quitting smoking.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the main benefits of quitting smoking?
Changes can begin soon after your last cigarette. Your heart rate and blood pressure start responding, carbon monoxide in your blood falls, and your senses of taste and smell may improve.
Over time, your lungs and circulation can recover, while the risks of several smoking-related conditions decrease. Quitting can also reduce secondhand smoke exposure and save money.
What happens after 21 days without smoking?
At approximately three weeks, withdrawal symptoms may be easing for many people. Quit advises that withdrawal commonly fades over about two to four weeks, although the timing differs between individuals.
Cravings can still occur after this point. An urge does not mean you've lost progress. Continue using your coping strategies and seek support if you are finding withdrawal difficult to manage.
Can quitting smoking benefit your mood?
Some people report feeling less stressed, anxious or depressed in the months after quitting. However, irritability, anxiety and low mood can occur during nicotine withdrawal.
Mental-health experiences vary, and stopping smoking is not a substitute for mental-health treatment. Speak with your doctor if you have an existing condition or experience concerning changes in mood.
How can you calculate the money saved by quitting?
Multiply what you usually spend on cigarettes each day by seven for an estimated weekly figure or by 365 for an approximate annual figure.
Your actual savings will depend on your smoking pattern and purchasing habits. A personal cost calculator can provide a more relevant estimate than a general national figure.
Is it ever too late to stop smoking?
No. Stopping smoking is beneficial at any age, including after many years of smoking. The timing and extent of recovery vary, but some changes begin soon after the last cigarette and longer-term risks continue to decline over time.
Where can you find help to quit?
You can speak with a doctor or pharmacist or call Quitline on 13 7848 for free and confidential support. Australian adults considering clinical treatment can also learn about the online assessment pathway available through myduke®.
The Bottom Line
The benefits of quitting smoking can affect your physical health, mental wellbeing, everyday routine, household environment and finances. Some changes begin soon after your last cigarette, while others develop over months or years.
Experiences differ between individuals, and quitting may take more than one attempt. Support is available through doctors, pharmacists and Quitline.
Australian adults considering clinical treatment can also begin an online assessment through myduke®. An independent AHPRA-registered doctor reviews the information provided and determines whether prescription treatment is clinically appropriate. Completing the assessment does not guarantee a prescription or access to a particular treatment.
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Important information This article provides general information only and does not replace individual medical or pharmaceutical advice. myduke® is a clinical health service. Under Australian law, therapeutic vapes are unapproved goods. They are only available to patients 18+ for smoking cessation or nicotine dependence following a consultation with a pharmacist (for ≤20mg/mL) or a prescription from a medical practitioner (for >20mg/mL). Always read the label and follow practitioner advice. |