Many different approaches are taken daily to enlighten the public as for the risks of smoking. The risks and effects of smoking are no secret –millions and millions of dollars are spent yearly for advertising purposes to show the public how harmful smoking is. Even with so much money being poured into advertising, people continue to smoke just as much, if not more. Look around you the next time you walk in the city (wherever it is your live). In most cities, there are cigarette butts everywhere. Even though the government puts tons of money into advertising smoking negatively, the tobacco companies “out bid” them by pouring even more money to promote their cigarettes. Have you ever seen the popular image of the lung that smokes, and the one that does not? Well too so people, that just is not enough to quit.
As dumb as this may sound, many smokers try to overpower these negative images of smoking by claiming it is good for their health – helps them relieve stress and anxiety after a tough day, and what not. I’ve heard smokers say such things first hand, and quite frankly, it is ridiculous. Smokers can continue to say this, but the facts are there – smoking tobacco continuously will eventually lead to different types of lung diseases, and finally death.
Since these advertisements by the government do not seem to work, there is definitely another approach that can (and has) been taken. With such a horrible economy at hand, showing the financial harm of cigarettes just might be enough to push smokers to quit their bad habit.
I thought a bit about how much money smokers pay for cigarettes – it’s overwhelming. A pack of cigarettes costs around $4.50. Let’s assume one smokes a pack a day. On average, they will spend $31.50 a week. That comes out to $1638 a year. Sure, to some, this may not seem like a lot for a whole year, but the problem is that many people surpass a pack a day. Now, even if you only smoke a pack a day, over many years, this cost accumulates. If you began smoking when you were 20, at the age of 70, you’ve spent approximately $82,000 on cigarettes. If that money had been put in a 401K at the age of 40, by the time s/he is 70, they will have made somewhere close to $250,000 (9% a year plan).
Personally, I shiver at the thought of spending one-fourth of a million dollars on something that harms me, and can even kill me. Even though financial issues is one of the biggest reasons people turn to smoking, smoking is one of the biggest reasons people suffer financially.
Yes, smoking has many negatives – actually, all negatives. It may relieve your stress for a few minutes, but it will harm your body for a lifetime, harm you financially, and possibly kill you. For many, the hardest part is figuring out how to quit. One of the biggest steps in quitting is taking the pledge – telling yourself you want to quit. From that point on, it is a matter of how dedicated you are to quitting. Therapy groups are often a big help for those trying to quit smoking.
Money is a problem for many people in such a tough economy. Why smoke and make money even a bigger problem for yourself than it already may be? Stop smoking, and invest your money into something much more important – your health. In this day and time, many teenagers think it is cool to smoke. They begin smoking a few cigarettes a day, and from there it escalates to a pack a day. I’m 17 and I’m proud to say I have not yet smoked a cigarette to this day.
I’m a smoker and I keep trying to stop, but seeing your figures in black and white makes me sick. I knew it cost me a lot but when its calculated as you have done it really brings it home. I’ll try to stop again from tomorrow methinks!
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Great post! I hope it wakes up all those smokers out there. It is crazy the amount of money they spend to kill themselves. That is one thing I am proud of is I never have taken a puff from a cigarette in my whole life. I did bartend for many years in a nightclub that was full of smokers, so that probably wasn’t too good for me
I have lots of friends that are smoker and it is a hard addiction to beat. I wish all that try much success!
You can think of smoking as anything else that may be harmful to people. No matter what government does people will not stop doing it. That is just the way we are as people. I’m sure if we all stopped drinking there would be less car accidents on the road. If we all stopped smoking weed less of us would be going to jail, when instead we could be studying, or working. It is one of the things that will stay around for a long time no matter what anyone does…
It has been illegal to smoke in bars for a while now, but it didn’t use to be.
Thanks Doug, that is what I thought.
Well, I’m a non-smoker. Some people spend a lot of money for drinking alcohol, and this is more expensive than cigarettes.
My wife stopped smoking cold turkey about 6 months ago which is perfect timing because the prices for a pack of cigs is a joke at this point. I have never smoked.
Yeah, I never realized how much smokers spend until I sat and did this calculations. When you think about it, your money can be invested in such better ways.
I realize it is hard to quit though. It is something that will take time, but if you put your mind to it, you can succeed in quitting! Good luck to you
Thanks Doug. It also stuns me how someone can spend so much money, only to harm themselves. Obviously it is much easier to say if you have not experienced it though. I do realize that smoking is difficult to quit, and probably even more difficult than us non smokers think.
Working in a bar — sounds like a pretty fun job, but like you said, lots of second hand smoke! Is smoking still legal inside of bars?
Jason,
Interesting way to look at things. Obviously it is impossible for everyone in the world to quit smoking. That will never, ever happen. But we can always hope that more and more people do quit, especially after they see stats like the ones I’ve given in this post.
That is a good point Benjamin. But in all honesty, I personally feel there are more smokers than drinkers. Drinking in moderation is not as bad as smoking. But you’re right. alcohol also costs a lot.
I’m glad to hear your wife stopped smoking. Congratulations on never smoking — join the club