Physically, the body is reacting to the absence of the drug nicotine. Psychologically, the smoker is faced with giving up a habit. Both must be dealt with if quitting is to be successful. These uncomfortable symptoms lead the smoker to again start smoking cigarettes enough to boost blood levels of nicotine back to the level at which no symptoms occur. If a person has smoked regularly for a few weeks or longer and abruptly stops using tobacco or significantly reduces the amount smoked, withdrawal symptoms will occur, usually within a few hours of the last cigarette and peak about 48 to 72 hours later.
Withdrawal symptoms can last for a few days to several weeks.
Health reasons usually top the list of reasons people give for quitting smoking. Smokers have twice the risk of dying of heart attacks as non-smokers do. And smoking is a major risk factor for peripheral vascular disease, a narrowing of the blood vessels that carry blood to the leg and arm muscles. Smoking also results in premature wrinkling of the skin, causes bad breath, clothes and hair to smell bad, and nails to turn yellow. For women, there are unique risks.