Is there anyone in the United States who hasn't heard or read at least one "You Might Be a Redneck" jokes? I doubt it. They're easy to remember and to repeat to friends, not to mention tremendously funny! Something not so funny is the tolls smoking imposes on your life and your family. So I'm going to tell you how to know when it's time to quit smoking.

You know it's time to stop smoking if you spend more money on cigarettes than you spend on food.

If you hack up a lung before you have your first morning cigarette, when you climb a flight of stairs, or find yourself gasping for air during any kind of moderate physical exertion, you know it's time to quit smoking.

If your car refuses to start until lit a cigarette, you know it's time to quit smoking.

When you have such bad dragon-breath that even your dog won't kiss you, you know it's time to quit smoking.

When the school principle sends a note home with your 6 year-old threatening to notify child protection services because your kid smells so strongly of cigarettes you must be letting him or her smoke, you know it's time for you to quit smoking.

When you get lung cancer or have a heart attack or stroke, you know it's time to quit smoking.

First Two Hours

Within the first couple of hours after you quit smoking, your blood pressure and heart rate will decrease to normal levels. In addition, your circulation significantly improves, and you might notice a warming sensation in your hands & feet.

After Eight Hours

Carbon monoxide is among the lethal substances contained in cigarette smoke. Thus, smokers have toxic levels of this substance in their blood. However, once you quit, the carbon monoxide in your blood begins to drop in just 8 hours. As your body's carbon monoxide decreases, your oxygen increases to optimal levels.

Twenty-Four Hours After

At 24 hours after cleansing your body of cigarette smoke, your risk for heart attacks considerably decreases.

After 48 Hours

At 48 hours in the timeline, you begin to experience the worst symptoms of withdrawal. A nervous regeneration takes effect, initially reducing your sense of smell and taste, but then later improving them from this point forward.

At 2-3 Weeks

Within 2-3 weeks after quitting, your circulation will show significant improvement. You will be able to perform physical activities and strenuous exercises with ease. Covering long distances on foot will no longer be a problem. The function of your lungs will also greatly improve, with coughing and phlegm reduced.

At 1-9 Months

Lung regeneration occurs in the next 1-9 months of your quit smoking timeline. The tiny cilia cells present in your lung structure start to develop and function again. You will experience a general improvement in your breathing, and your sinuses will become healthy once more. At this point, you will feel more alert and less tired.

The 1 Year Mark

In about a year, your risk factor for cardiac disease or heart attack is decreased by 50% in comparison to when you were still smoking.

In the Long Run

In the long term, here are some points to consider: After 5-15 years, you are still as much at risk of getting a stroke as someone who has not smoked in his/her entire life. After 10 years, you have a lesser risk of getting lung cancer or other types of cancer (e.g. pancreas, esophagus, bladder, kidneys, throat, mouth, etc.) that usually attack smokers. In 15 years, your risk of experiencing a heart problem (coronary disease or heart attack) is reduced to the level of a nonsmoker.

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