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Today, I’m celebrating my 10-year anniversary as a non-smoker. By 2020, it should be clear to everyone that smoking is unhealthy. In this article, we’ll look at the benefits of quitting smoking, and I’ll share some personal insights about why I started smoking in my youth and what ultimately led me to quit.

Why I Started Smoking

Like many others, peer pressure played a major role. At first, I resisted the idea of smoking for a long time, even though many of my friends were already doing it. It started early for us. I still vividly remember older kids offering me a cigarette when I was just 12 years old. By the time I was 14, I gave in and tried it for the first time. From that point on, it became more frequent, and my consumption increased over time. Although I only smoked for a few years, those were very intense years—I was smoking one to two packs of Marlboro a day.

Why I Decided to Quit Smoking

One night, I found myself awake at 3 AM, suffering from a terrible cough. That day, I had overdone it and smoked more than usual. It wasn’t an ordinary cough like you get from a cold—it was the start of a typical smoker’s cough, and this after only four years of smoking. Given my tendency to take things to the extreme, I knew that if I didn’t quit, I would end up as a chain smoker. It became clear that the situation, where I was smoking at least two packs of Marlboro Reds a day, would only get worse. As someone who is passionate about fitness and health, smoking didn’t fit in with my lifestyle at all. Something had to change.

How I Tried to Quit and Failed

I tried quitting several times using different methods, but each time I failed. One of my biggest mistakes was telling everyone about my intention to quit. With the right friends, this might work, but at that time, most of my friends were still quite immature, and I allowed myself to be talked into smoking again and again.

Other times, I tried cutting back gradually to quit. I also tried switching to shisha to reduce my cigarette intake. But none of these approaches worked for me. I learned that for me, it was a matter of "all or nothing."

How I Finally Managed to Quit Smoking

My journey to quitting smoking started with a concrete goal: I decided to be smoke-free from a certain day onward. Cliché as it may be, I chose New Year’s Eve 2009 as the start of my smoke-free life, which would begin on January 1, 2010. This time, I approached it with a well-thought-out plan. I didn’t consciously reduce my cigarette consumption beforehand; instead, I continued to smoke my usual amount right up until the set date. I didn’t tell anyone about my plan, and if someone offered me a cigarette, I would say I wasn’t feeling well or that I had just smoked and didn’t want one at the moment.

I stuck to my plan, and it worked. It was very tough, but with each passing week, my craving for nicotine lessened. The hardest moments for me were after meals, during coffee breaks, and with the occasional after-work beer.

Over time, I even developed a disgust for the smell of cigarette smoke, similar to how you perceive it when you’ve never smoked. It was only at this point that I began sharing my smoke-free journey with others. Today marks exactly ten years since I quit smoking.

That was my path to quitting. But I believe everyone needs to find their own plan and develop personal strategies.

The Positive Effects of Quitting Smoking

Immediate Effects

• After 20 minutes: Blood pressure and pulse begin to decrease.

• After 12 hours: Carbon monoxide levels in the blood drop to normal, improving organ oxygenation.

Short-Term Effects (2 weeks to 3 months)

• Blood circulation and lung function improve.

• Coughing fits and shortness of breath decrease as the cilia in the bronchial tubes regain their effectiveness in clearing mucus from the lungs.

Medium-Term Effects (1 to 9 months):

• The risk of infections such as pneumonia and bronchitis decreases.

Long-Term Effects

• After one year: The risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) is about half that of a smoker.

• After 2 to 5 years: The risk of heart attack becomes equivalent to that of a non-smoker.

• After 5 years: The risk of oral, throat, esophageal, and bladder cancer decreases by about half.

• After 10 years: The risk of laryngeal and pancreatic cancer decreases. The risk of dying from lung cancer is now only half that of a current smoker.

• After 15 years: The risk of coronary heart disease is equivalent to that of a person who has never smoked.

A Brief Note on This List: The risk of diseases also depends on the duration and intensity of smoking. People who have smoked heavily over a long period have a higher baseline risk compared to those who smoked for a shorter time.

For example, people who have smoked for many decades may have already developed irreversible damage to blood vessels and the heart. This means that the risk of coronary heart disease may still be higher than that of someone who has never smoked, even after many years of quitting.

Nevertheless, long-term smokers benefit significantly from quitting. Even if the risk of some diseases doesn’t return to the level of a non-smoker, other health problems can be reduced or slowed down. Quality of life improves in any case.

Closing Words

If this post has helped even one person to quit smoking, that’s already a big achievement. Remember, you only have one body, so take care of your health.

And if that’s not enough motivation, take a look at the prices: Back then, a pack of Marlboro Reds in Austria cost €3.80. Today, the price is over €5.60, and it’s only going up. Quitting smoking is not only good for your health but also financially rewarding. (Prices from Austria)