What is the estimated yearly cost of tobacco use to society?

Answer 1

The True Cost of Smoking, Much More Than Just Cigarettes

If you've never taken the time to examine just how much your smoking habit is costing you, then you are in for a shock because there's more to it than meets the eye. Let's look at a simple example.

Let's say you pay three dollars per pack of cigarettes. I realize this may be low for many people, and high for others. But three dollars is a good average. Now, let's assume you smoke one pack per day. During the course of a year, those cigarettes are costing you 365 x $3 = $1,095. Not bad, right? It won't break the bank for most people.

Now let's think a little deeper about associated costs. You've got to get your cigarettes at a store. Sometimes you make a special run to the store just to get cigarettes, right? So there is gas money on top of cigarette money. Let's just assume you have to spend gas money (and wear and tear on your car) on one out of three packs. We'll just use $1.00 as the cost to get a pack. So over the course of a year, that's another 365 ÷ 3 x $1 = $122. Just to get cigarettes!

Smokers Pay More For Insurance

As a smoker you pay higher health insurance rates. While your employer may be paying for your insurance, this is still a cost to you because your employer could instead pay you a higher wage if they didn't have to pay for insurance. And a new trend has some employers passing this higher cost on to smoking employees. Some are even testing spouses and charging extra if they smoke! As a smoker, your health insurance is probably 15% to 20% higher. To make our health insurance cost calculation, let's assume that health insurance for you is $350 per month. Using 15% as the extra you pay as a smoker, if you were a non-smoker, your insurance would be $297.50 per month. Over the course of a year your extra cost is 12 x $52.50 = $630!

Next, let's stay in the insurance category. As a smoker, you pay higher life insurance rates too. Smokers will pay about 100% more per year. So if a non-smoker your age could get life insurance for $250 a year, you'd pay $500.

Source: http://www.quitsmoking.com/info/articles/costofsmoking.htm

For more information to save your life if your a smoker, go to: http://www.quitsmoking.com/info/articles/costofsmoking.htm

It'll save your life. ;) XD ;)