The real cost of addiction

The real cost of addiction

Smoking is a costly habit, as hard to kick as cocaine, but the $5-a-pack cost of cigarettes is just the beginning.

People often turn to smoking in times of stress. Smoking quickly turns into a dependency as hard to break as cocaine addiction. Along with drinking, drug use, overeating, shopping, and gambling, smoking is a self-destructive coping strategy with a high price tag – physically, financially, and in relationships.

In addition to the cost of cigarettes and well-documented health costs like lung cancer, heart disease, and stroke, let’s take a look at some of the hidden costs of smoking:

• Smokers pay hundreds more per year for health insurance premiums.
• The resale of a smoker’s car will usually be at least $1,000 less than the selling price of a non-smoker’s car.
• The sale of a smoker’s house will usually be less than the selling price of a nonsmoker’s house.
• A smoker’s life insurance premium may also cost twice as much as a non-smoker’s.
• Homeowner’s insurance for a smoker is up to 10 percent more expensive.
• Just the cost of mints and dry cleaning can add a few hundred dollars to a smoker’s budget.
• On average, smokers earn up to 11 percent less than non-smokers.

And some companies today are choosing not to hire people who smoke.