February 9 is celebrated as “Quit Smoking Day” in order to raise awareness about harms of tobacco use, and to encourage smokers to quit. According to World Health Organization data, 1.3 billion people in the world use tobacco products. 80% of tobacco users live in low- and middle-income countries, which are often the target of intense tobacco industry intervention and marketing. These countries are also the countries with the highest burden of tobacco-related disease and death. This also causes impoverishment by diverting household expenditures from basic needs such as food and shelter to tobacco products. More than 8 million people die every year, 22 thousand people every day, due to diseases related to tobacco use. While more than 7 million of these deaths are a direct result of tobacco use, more than 1.2 million people die not because of using tobacco products, but because of being exposed to tobacco smoke. Quitting tobacco use provides great benefits at all times and at all ages. The beneficial health changes that occur in the body are summarized below: * From the first day of quitting smoking, the high heart rate returns to normal, blood pressure decreases, the level of carbon monoxide in the blood circulation returns to normal, and the sense of taste and smell improves. * Within 2-12 weeks, circulation improves, blood fluidity increases, end parts of the body such as hands and feet receive better blood supply, lung capacity increases, cough and shortness of breath decrease, and the immune system becomes stronger over time. * After 1 year, the lungs become healthier. The risk of coronary heart disease drops to about half that of a smoker. * After 5 years, the risk of stroke and heart attack decreases, and these risks continue to decrease over time. * After 10 years, the risk of lung cancer becomes half that of a smoker, and the risk of cancer of the mouth, larynx, esophagus, bladder, cervix and pancreas decreases. * After 15 years, the risk of coronary heart disease decreases to the same level as the risk of someone who has never smoked. In Türkiye, people who use tobacco products are encouraged to quit, and those who want to quit are provided with services through the ALO 171 Smoking Cessation Information Line and 467 smoking cessation clinics.
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