The Cost of Smoking: All Dollars and No Sense

The Cost of Smoking: All Dollars and No Sense

 There are many arguments in favor of quitting smoking. Some focus on health concerns, complete with pictures of desiccated lungs and gobs of arterial plaque¹. Some arguments appeal to vanity, describing how smokers³’ teeth and fingers turn yellow and their skin ages prematurely⁴. Others appeal to posterity⁵, featuring children orphaned⁶ by smoking-related diseases.

Smoking is the number one cause of preventable death in the U.S. and although rates have fallen a bit in recent years, the Centers for Disease Control estimates that about 23% of adults between ages 25 and 44 still smoke. Apparently⁷, appeals to our sense of self-preservation and vanity just aren’t enough.

One of the problems with the usual arguments is that some people find it hard to imagine consequences that won’t take effect for 20, 30, or 40 years. But there’s one effect of smoking that everyone can feel immediately, and that’s the direct cost: not just what it costs the country or health insurance companies, but rather smoking’s very real—and very hefty—impact on people’s pocketbooks.

Cigarettes: Bad for Your Body, Bad for Your Budget

As of October 2010, the average cost of a pack of cigarettes was $5.29, according to Tobacco Free Kids. That cost varies throughout the country, depending on local and state excise⁸ taxes. On top of the manufacturer’s cost, federal taxes are now $1.01 per pack and states add their own stiff tariffs⁹ to incentivize people to kick the habit. Currently, New York leads the nation with a $4.35 state tax on cigarettes, followed closely by Rhode Island, which levies¹⁰ $3.46 per pack.

Even for smokers in average-cost areas, $5.29 daily adds up quickly. What could you do with that extra five bucks¹¹ in your pocket each day?

In one week, a smoker² could save about $36, enough to go on a movie date, eat out for lunch every workday, pay a weekly health insurance premium¹², get a manicure and pedicure, or buy a tank of gas for a small- to medium-size car.

In one month, a smoker would save about $144. With that money, the person could get a monthly deep-tissue massage¹³, splurge on an expensive new pair of shoes, have a nice dinner out, upgrade to a professional colorist instead of doing at-home haircare, or pay the monthly bill for a smartphone with unlimited¹⁴ minutes and data.

In one year, smokers who quit would save almost $1,880 each. They could put a down payment on a new car, take a vacation, repay credit card debt, buy a top-of-the-line computer, or replace all the major appliances in their kitchen.

In five years, a smoker could save almost $9,400. That money could go toward making a down payment on a house or an apartment, paying off school loans, remodeling part of a home, or buying an expensive piece of jewelry¹⁵ for a loved one.

In the long term, there’s almost no limit to what people can buy with money that otherwise would have gone toward cigarettes. If parents stop smoking when their child is born, by the time the kid is 18, they’ll have saved almost $34,000 for his or her college education, not counting interest. If a 30-year-old quits smoking and instead puts the savings¹⁶ into a retirement¹⁷ account at 6% interest, she’ll have saved an extra $150,000 by the time she’s ready to retire, not counting employer matches.

Smoking’s the Way to a Pauper’s Grave

Besides the better causes their cigarette money could subsidize, smokers incur¹⁸ many other extra costs. Some companies require smokers to pay $20 to $50 extra per month for their health insurance; insurers and employers all know that smokers are more prone¹⁹ to chronic²⁰ health problems, so they charge accordingly. In some states, employers can legally refuse to hire smokers because of the increased costs. Life insurance is also more expensive for smokers, as is homeowners’ and renters’ insurance. Like it or not, to an insurance company, smokers are more likely to accidentally burn down their house, so they generally pay about 10% more for their habit.

Smokers might be out of luck when trying to sell their home, too. Most real estate professionals say that it’s very difficult to sell a house when the occupants smoke. At the very least, the house will need expensive cleaning services to eliminate the residue²¹ from carpets and upholstery, but some houses need the entire HVAC system, carpets, and drapes replaced before it will sell. That’s a potential investment of thousands of dollars.

Every November, we celebrate the Great American Smokeout, helping²² smokers across the country muster²³ up the willpower and the resources to quit. Besides your health, your appearance, and your life, there are a million other reasons to stop smoking, and they’re all sitting in your bank account.

1 plaque   

n.饰板，匾，(医)血小板

参考例句：

• There is a commemorative plaque to the artist in the village hall.村公所里有一块纪念该艺术家的牌匾。
• Some Latin words were engraved on the plaque. 牌匾上刻着些拉丁文。

2 smoker   

n.吸烟者，吸烟车厢，吸烟室

参考例句：

• His wife dislikes him to be a smoker.他妻子不喜欢他当烟民。
• He is a moderate smoker.他是一个有节制的烟民。

3 smokers   

吸烟者( smoker的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Many smokers who are chemically addicted to nicotine cannot cut down easily. 许多有尼古丁瘾的抽烟人不容易把烟戒掉。
• Chain smokers don't care about the dangers of smoking. 烟鬼似乎不在乎吸烟带来的种种危害。

4 prematurely   

adv.过早地，贸然地

参考例句：

• She was born prematurely with poorly developed lungs. 她早产，肺部未发育健全。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• His hair was prematurely white, but his busy eyebrows were still jet-black. 他的头发已经白了，不过两道浓眉还是乌黑乌黑的。 来自辞典例句

5 posterity   

n.后裔，子孙，后代

参考例句：

• Few of his works will go down to posterity.他的作品没有几件会流传到后世。
• The names of those who died are recorded for posterity on a tablet at the back of the church.死者姓名都刻在教堂后面的一块石匾上以便后人铭记。

6 orphaned   

[计][修]孤立

参考例句：

• Orphaned children were consigned to institutions. 孤儿都打发到了福利院。
• He was orphaned at an early age. 他幼年时便成了孤儿。

7 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

8 excise   

n.(国产)货物税；vt.切除，删去

参考例句：

• I'll excise the patient's burnt areas.我去切除病人烧坏的部分。
• Jordan's free trade zone free of import duty,excise tax and all other taxes.约旦的自由贸易区免收进口税、国内货物税及其它一切税收。

9 tariffs   

关税制度； 关税( tariff的名词复数 )； 关税表； （旅馆或饭店等的）收费表； 量刑标准

参考例句：

• British industry was sheltered from foreign competition by protective tariffs. 保护性关税使英国工业免受国际竞争影响。
• The new tariffs have put a stranglehold on trade. 新的关税制对开展贸易极为不利。

10 levies   

（部队）征兵( levy的名词复数 )； 募捐； 被征募的军队

参考例句：

• At that time, taxes and levies were as many as the hairs on an ox. 那时，苛捐杂税多如牛毛。
• Variable levies can insulate farmers and consumers from world markets. 差价进口税可以把农民和消费者与世界市场隔离开来。

11 bucks   

n.雄鹿( buck的名词复数 )；钱；（英国十九世纪初的）花花公子；（用于某些表达方式）责任v.（马等）猛然弓背跃起( buck的第三人称单数 )；抵制；猛然震荡；马等尥起后蹄跳跃

参考例句：

• They cost ten bucks. 这些值十元钱。
• They are hunting for bucks. 他们正在猎雄兔。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 premium   

n.加付款；赠品；adj.高级的；售价高的

参考例句：

• You have to pay a premium for express delivery.寄快递你得付额外费用。
• Fresh water was at a premium after the reservoir was contaminated.在水库被污染之后，清水便因稀而贵了。

13 massage   

n.按摩，揉；vt.按摩，揉，美化，奉承，篡改数据

参考例句：

• He is really quite skilled in doing massage.他的按摩技术确实不错。
• Massage helps relieve the tension in one's muscles.按摩可使僵硬的肌肉松弛。

14 unlimited   

adj.无限的，不受控制的，无条件的

参考例句：

• They flew over the unlimited reaches of the Arctic.他们飞过了茫茫无边的北极上空。
• There is no safety in unlimited technological hubris.在技术方面自以为是会很危险。

15 jewelry   

n.（jewllery）（总称）珠宝

参考例句：

• The burglars walked off with all my jewelry.夜盗偷走了我的全部珠宝。
• Jewelry and lace are mostly feminine belongings.珠宝和花边多数是女性用品。

16 savings   

n.存款，储蓄

参考例句：

• I can't afford the vacation,for it would eat up my savings.我度不起假，那样会把我的积蓄用光的。
• By this time he had used up all his savings.到这时，他的存款已全部用完。

17 retirement   

n.退休，退职

参考例句：

• She wanted to enjoy her retirement without being beset by financial worries.她想享受退休生活而不必为金钱担忧。
• I have to put everything away for my retirement.我必须把一切都积蓄起来以便退休后用。

18 incur   

vt.招致，蒙受，遭遇

参考例句：

• Any costs that you incur will be reimbursed in full.你的所有花费都将全额付还。
• An enterprise has to incur certain costs and expenses in order to stay in business.一个企业为了维持营业,就不得不承担一定的费用和开支。

19 prone   

adj.(to)易于…的，很可能…的；俯卧的

参考例句：

• Some people are prone to jump to hasty conclusions.有些人往往作出轻率的结论。
• He is prone to lose his temper when people disagree with him.人家一不同意他的意见,他就发脾气。

20 chronic   

adj.(疾病)长期未愈的，慢性的；极坏的

参考例句：

• Famine differs from chronic malnutrition.饥荒不同于慢性营养不良。
• Chronic poisoning may lead to death from inanition.慢性中毒也可能由虚弱导致死亡。

21 residue   

n.残余，剩余，残渣

参考例句：

• Mary scraped the residue of food from the plates before putting them under water.玛丽在把盘子放入水之前先刮去上面的食物残渣。
• Pesticide persistence beyond the critical period for control leads to residue problems.农药一旦超过控制的临界期，就会导致残留问题。

22 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

23 muster   

v.集合，收集，鼓起，激起；n.集合，检阅，集合人员，点名册

参考例句：

• Go and muster all the men you can find.去集合所有你能找到的人。
• I had to muster my courage up to ask him that question.我必须鼓起勇气向他问那个问题。