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Withdrawal Symptoms (in place of Symptoms)
The CDC recognizes seven common nicotine withdrawal symptoms that people often face when stopping smoking - "cravings to smoke, feeling irritated, grouchy, or upset, feeling jumpy and restless, having a hard time concentrating, having trouble sleeping, feeling hungry or gaining weight, or feeling anxious, sad or depressed." Studies have shown that use of pharmacotherapies, such as varenicline can be useful in reducing withdrawal symptoms during the quitting process.

Weight Gain
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services guideline suggests that sustained-release bupropion, nicotine gum, and nicotine lozenge be used "to delay weight gain after quitting." There is not currently enough evidence to suggest one method of weight loss works better than others in preventing weight gain during the smoking cessation process. Regardless of post-cessation weight gain, there is a significant decrease in risk of cardiovascular disease in those who have quit smoking.

Mental Health (in place of Depression and Anxiety)
Like other physically addictive drugs, nicotine addiction causes a down-regulation of the production of dopamine and other stimulatory neurotransmitters as the brain attempts to compensate for the artificial stimulation caused by smoking. Some older studies studies found that when people stop smoking, depressive symptoms such as suicidal tendencies or actual depression may result, although a recent international study comparing smokers who had stopped for 3 months with continuing smokers found that stopping smoking did not appear to increase anxiety or depression. A recent review found that quitting smoking lessens anxiety and depression.

A 2013 study by The British Journal of Psychiatry has found that smokers who successfully quit feel less anxious afterward, with the effect being greater among those who had mood and anxiety disorders than those who smoked for pleasure.

Health Benefits
Many of tobacco's detrimental health effects can be reduced or largely removed through smoking cessation. The health benefits over time of stopping smoking include:


 * Within 20 minutes after quitting, blood pressure and heart rate decrease
 * Within a few days, carbon monoxide levels in the blood decrease to normal
 * Within 48 hours, nerve endings and sense of smell and taste both start recovering
 * Within 3 months, circulation and lung function improve
 * Within 1 year, there are decreases in cough and shortness of breath
 * Within 1-2 years, the risk of coronary heart disease is cut in half
 * Within 5-10 years, the risk of stroke falls to the same as a non-smoker, and the risks of many cancers (mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, cervix) decrease significantly
 * Within 10 years, the risk of dying from lung cancer is cut in half, and the risks of larynx and pancreas cancers decrease
 * Within 15 years, the risk of coronary heart disease drops to the level of a non-smoker; lowered risk for developing COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)

The significant increase in the risk of all-cause mortality that is present in people who smoke is decreased with long-term smoking cessation. Smoking cessation can improve health status and quality of life at any age. Evidence shows that cessation of smoking reduces risk of lung, laryngeal, oral cavity and pharynx, esophageal, pancreatic, bladder, stomach, colorectal, cervical, and kidney cancer, in addition to reducing the risk of acute myeloid leukemia.

Statistical trends
In the United States, 61.7% of adult smokers (55.0 million adults) who had ever smoked had quit by 2018, and increase from 51.7% in 2009. As of 2020, the CDC reports that the number of adult smokers in the U.S. has fallen to 30.8 million current smokers.