Be a quitter! They say it's never too late to start. In your case, it's never too late to quit?smoking. It's one of the hardest things you've ever done. Maybe you've tried to quit in the past, and failed. Try again. You might be successful this time. Most people attempt to quit smoking two or three times before they conquer their habit.

You know the negative effects on your health from smoking. Consider the positive effects of stopping smoking provided in the following facts from Women'sHealth.gov:

• 20 minutes after quitting, your blood pressure drops. The temperature in your hands and feet rises.
• 8 hours after quitting, the carbon monoxide (a gas that can be toxic) in your blood drops to normal.
• 24 hours after quitting, your chance of having a heart attack goes down.
• 2 days after quitting, you can taste and smell things better.
• 2 weeks to 3 months after quitting, you have better circulation. Your lungs are working better.
• 1 to 9 months after quitting, coughing, sinus congestion, fatigue, and shortness of breath decrease. Your lungs start to function better, lowering your risk of lung infections.
• 1 year after quitting, your risk for heart disease is half that of a smoker's.
• 5 years after quitting, your risk of having a stroke is the same as someone who doesn't smoke.
• 10 years after quitting, your risk of dying from lung cancer is half that of a smoker's. Your risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney, and pancreas also decreases.
• 15 years after quitting, your risk of heart disease is now the same as someone who doesn't smoke.
• Most people only gain 5 pounds when they quit.