You're out for a Friday night drink, and you need a cigarette.

It's at that point, standing outside, braving the cold, that you decide it's time to give up.

You are determined to do it this year, it's time.

You know that giving up is the best thing you could do for your health and those around you. After all, about half of those who smoke will die from the habit.

On average, smokers die on average 10 years earlier than non-smokers with greater likelihood of contracting lung cancer, heart attacks and strokes, writes the Birmingham Mail.

The sooner smoking is given the boot, the sooner the body can begin to repair itself.

One of the scariest aspects of quitting smoking can be the unknown of what will happen and this often puts people off trying to be smoke-free in the first place.

What happens to the body

The human body is an amazing thing. Just 20 minutes after that last cigarette, it begins to recover.

Nicotine, the addictive chemical in smoking, acts as a stimulant and gives that all-important ‘kick’.

Not long after the last puff of smoke, heart rate and blood pressure return to normal following this high.

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Eight hours

This is the testing time when most smokers reach for another cigarette.

The effects of withdrawal are strong as nicotine leaves the bloodstream and cravings start to happen.

One day

Anxiety and ‘stress’ levels peak. The feeling of stress associated with quitting smoking isn’t usually stress – it’s a sign of withdrawal.

That’s why it’s untrue that smoking de-stresses, it’s just feeding a craving.

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In fact, research shows non- and ex-smokers feel less stressed than smokers.

Two to three days

If you decide to go ‘cold turkey’ there’s no nicotine left in the body but it’ll take a while to adjust to this new feeling. Using nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) such as gum, patches or e-cigarettes supplies the body with nicotine and allows smokers to wean themselves off smoking gently, making it easier to quit cigarettes.

Taste and smell receptors are given the chance to heal, meaning food will never have tasted so good!

One week

Making it one week smoke-free means quitters are over the worst of it.

It’s perfectly normal to think about smoking regularly – it’s now a case of mind over matter as the body no longer physically craves tobacco.

Many quitters experience a nasty cough, but this is perfectly normal – it’s the lungs’ way of clearing themselves as much as they can.

Two weeks

Blood circulation, especially to the gums and teeth, returns to normal levels, the same as a non-smoker.

Now that the mouth isn’t being bombarded with smoke, tissue damaged by gum disease can recover.

One month

Withdrawals can range from anger, anxiety, insomnia and mild depression, but by month one these feelings should have subsided. If not, a trip to the GP is recommended. Quitters who make it to four weeks smoke-free are five times more likely to stay smoke-free for good.

Two months

The risk of heart attack risk has started to drop. With lung function improving too, climbing the stairs gets that little bit easier each day.

Three months

Walking long distances is a lot easier now. Any bad coughs should have disappeared, but if not, being seen by a doctor is imperative as it can be a sign of something more sinister.

Six months

Any tiredness and shortness of breath will be a thing of the past.

Cilia, air sacs in the lungs, have re-grown and healed some of the damage caused by smoking, but the lungs will never be 100% healthy.

One year

Ex-smokers are 50% less likely to have a heart attack, heart disease or a stroke within just one year of quitting.

Five years

Diabetes is an illness long-term smokers can develop. Make it five years smoke-free and the risks of it occurring are the same a non-smoker.

Five to 10 years

Amazing! The risk of having a stroke is now the same as that of a non-smoker. Smoke makes blood sticky and hard to move around the body and that’s why smokers are much more likely to have a stroke.

10 years

Lung cancer is the biggest risk to a smoker’s life. Within 10 years of quitting, the chance of death from lung cancer is half that of a smoker. The risk from other cancers such as mouth and pancreatic have reduced significantly.

Post-10 years

When smoking, the heart works harder to pump smoke-ridden blood and this leads to increased risk of heart attacks and disease. After 10 years smoke-free, the risk of heart disease is the same as a non-smoker.