Dr Suresh S, senior consultant pulmonologist at Gleneagles, Chennai, noted that cigarette smoke contains over 7,000 chemicals and 70 known carcinogens that immediately damage lung airways.
While visible smoke clears within hours and carbon monoxide clears in 36 hours, sticky tar can take 6 to 9 months to clear from the lungs after quitting.
Quitting smoking yields long-term health benefits, including a 50% reduction in heart attack risk within a year and significantly lowered lung cancer risk within 5 to 10 years.