The actual cost of smoking in NYC analyzed by City Laser Lab

The actual cost of smoking in NYC analyzed

The rising cost of living and income inequality is certainly taking its toll on smokers in New York City. Not only are they seeing the cost of cigarettes going up to over $12 per pack, but all of the indirect expenses as a result of smoking are increasing as well. For example, the travel costs just to purchase cigarettes at a convenience store can be quite expensive. NYC has some of the highest gas prices in the nation at $5 per gallon. This means if you drive your car to get gas then you will likely use up at least a gallon of gas per trip, which is mostly wasted on being stuck in heavy traffic with the motor running. This could easily add up to $120 per year if you make a trip to get cigarettes twice a month. But if you use a taxi cab then you are looking at even more expense because you have to pay the fare plus tip as well. Now let’s look at the cost of the cigarettes versus how many you purchase. If you smoke a pack of cigarettes per day then you are spending $12 per day. Just multiple $12 by 365 days, and you have $4562.50. This is a quarter of what people on minimum wage earn in a year.

Let’s take a look at some other variables concerning your personal lifestyle and health. Did you know employers are actually discriminating against smokers by not hiring them? Employers figure that smokers take more breaks to smoke and also use more sick days because they are sick from smoking. This sickness could be lower energy levels from a lack of oxygen or a slower metabolic rate. Therefore, smokers will end up having to take a lower level job while losing out on an average of $5000 per year in their income. Speaking of health, smokers who have health insurance are paying $52.50 per more in their premiums every month than nonsmokers. Since smoking increases your likelihood of needing medical attention, insurance companies penalize you by making you pay more. These long term health issues could be shortness of breath, chronic coughing, vascular narrowing or even the early stages of lung cancer. So if you quit smoking then you would save $630 per year on your premiums and secure your health at the same time. Also if you are a smoker with a life insurance policy then quitting will likely get your monthly rates cut down in half to just $250.

The actual cost of smoking per year may vary, but it will definitely be over $6000 if you live in NYC. It all depends on a variety of variables, like how many packs of cigarettes you buy per day and how many trips you take to get cigarettes. Even people who own their own home or car will see depreciation in the value of their assets because of smoking. This could be another $5,000 lost when it goes time to sell their car or home. So based on the examples mentioned in this article, smokers in NYC will be losing out on $15,442.50 because of their smoking habit.