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Quitting Time: A Look at Smoking and Preventing Diabetes and Heart Disease 

It's well known that smoking causes cancer. But did you know that smoking may also raise your risk for type 2 diabetes? Or that it is a major factor in nearly half of heart attacks? It's never easy to stop smoking, but millions of people have quit -- and you can, too. Now might be the time to give it a try.

Cigarettes contain more than 4,000 chemicals, including ammonia and substances found in rat poison. No matter how long you've smoked, you'll be healthier just 20 minutes after you quit, as your pulse rate goes back to normal. That reduces the stress on your heart. After just three days, the nicotine leaves your body and each breath comes easier. What about financial benefits? A pack-a-day smoker saves about $150 after one month without cigarettes, more than $1,800 after one year and close to $50,000 after 25 years.

About four out of five smokers would like to quit. Are you one of them? Here are some tips to get smoke-free:

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