It seems like all you hear is, "Quit smoking, it's bad for your health." What does this really mean? We all know that smoking contributes to heart disease, lung disease, cancers and many other health-related problems, but just what happens when you quit? How does your body respond?

According to "Tobacco Biology and Politics," by Stanton A. Glanz, when you quit smoking:

Within 20 minutes of your last cigarette:

• You stop polluting the air.
• Your blood pressure drops to normal.
• Your pulse drops to normal.
• Your temperature of hands and feet increases to normal.

Within eight hours:

• Carbon monoxide level in the blood drops to normal.
• Oxygen level in your blood increases to normal.

Within 24 hours:

• Chances of heart attack decreases.

Within 48 hours:

• Nerve endings adjust to the absence of nicotine.
• The ability to smell and taste is enhanced.

Within 72 hours:

• Bronchial tubes relax, making breathing easier.
• Lung capacity increases.

Within two weeks to three months:

• Circulation improves.
• Walking becomes easier.
• Lung function increases up to 30 percent.

Within one to nine months:

• Coughing, sinus congestion, fatigue and shortness of breath decrease.
• The threadlike productions of the lungs regrow. This increases the ability to handle mucus to clean the lungs and reduce infection.
• Level of overall energy increases.

Within one year:

• Heart disease death rate is halfway back to that of a nonsmoker
• A pack-a-day smoker has saved an average of $2,117.

Within five years:

• Your heart disease death rate drops to that of a nonsmoker.
• Lung cancer death rate decreases half way back of that of a nonsmoker.

Within 10 years:

• Lung cancer death rate drops almost to the rate of a nonsmoker.
• Precancerous cells are replaced.
• The incidences of cancers of the mouth, larynx, esophagus, bladder, kidney and pancreas decrease.
• A pack a day smoker has saved an average of $21,170.

Quitting is important and definitely worth it. Smoking can be the most difficult addiction to control, but help is available. Seventy percent of smokers or tobacco users want to quit.

Ask your health care provider for a plan and support for quitting any tobacco product. A plan with nicotine patches or gum and a support group will help you stop.

In addition, call the Montana Tobacco Quit Line at 1-866-485-QUIT (7848). This free service for Montanans provides counseling services and educational materials for smokers and smokeless tobacco users and may know of tobacco cessation classes in your community.

And don't be discouraged if you don't stop on your first try. According to the American Lung Association, the average person makes two to four attempts at quitting before he is able to stay tobacco-free.

If being a role model and improving your health isn't enough, think about all of the extra money you will have in your pocket. What would you spend in a year on cigarettes? The average cost of a cigarette is 29 cents. So, if you smoke one pack of cigarettes a day, you'll be saving $2,117 per year, $21,170 in 10 years and, ultimately, $63,510 in 30 years.

Now that's money in your pocket!

Lisa Stelling is a nurse in the Cardiac Catheterization Lab at St. Patrick Hospital and Health Sciences Center.