I often hear people say that they have smoked for so long that they can’t see what good it would do to quit now. So what is the big deal if you quit smoking? Will it do you any good or is it a pointless exercise in futility?

My answer always is that the benefits of quitting smoking are enormous. Here are some powerful reasons for quitting: The excess risk of developing heart disease as a result of smoking may be reduced by as much as half in the year or two after quitting. After 15 years, the former smoker's risk of heart disease approaches that of a person who has never smoked. Five to 15 years after quitting the risk of stroke returns to the level of those who have never smoked.

Quitting reduces the risk of lung cancer; 10 years after quitting the risk for lung cancer is 30% to 50% that of the risk of those who continue to smoke. Men who quit at age 35 increase their life expectancy by 7 to 9 years. Women who quit at age 35 increase their life expectancy by 6 to 8 years. It is never too late to gain benefits from quitting. Quitting at age 45 increases life expectancy by 6 or 7 years. Quitting at age 55 increases life expectancy by 3 to 6 years. Quitting at age 65 increases life expectancy by 1.4 to 4 years.

So how are those for good reasons? No matter how long you have smoked, quitting will provide you with some benefit. That benefit may be profound. It could lengthen your life by as much as a decade. Don't wait. Throw out your cigarettes and stop smoking today.