The true cost of smoking

Did anyone read the article. Like is typical on ATS you grab the headline and run away to conclusions because it fit you opinions. Some quotes from the article.

Their analysis found that the cost for a 24-year-old smoker over 60 years was $220,000 for a man and $106,000 for a woman, or a total of about $204 billion nationally over 60 years. The figures include expenses for cigarettes and excise taxes, for life and property insurance, medical care for the smoker and for the smoker’s family, and lost earnings due to disability.

Costs borne only by the smoker amounted to $33 of the $40-per-pack total, or $182,860 for a man and $86,236 for a woman over the smoker’s lifetime.

Using this figure, some economists might suggest that cigarette excise taxes in many states already are high enough to recover society’s portion of the cost of smoking.

The authors found that smokers’ costs to society are less than generally believed -- about $1.44 of the $40-per-pack total -- when costs to the smoker’s family are not included.

I hate these dishonest discussions.

Originally posted by Wildbob77
reply to post by LeTan

 

My apologies to anyone that I've offended.

Yes, I've lost family members to smoking.

My brother is a smoker and I'm afraid that I'll lose him as well.

I guess that I'm a bit touchy on this subject.

As to the conspiracy angle... It's the true cost of smoking on society vs the actual price that you pay at a store. You've got growers that profit, manufacturers that profit all on an addictive substance. A substance that to my knowledge is the only one that is legal that when used according to directions produces terrible health issues on the users. Yet we as a society help to subsidize the cost to smoke.

Given your own personalbiases I would reccomend that you and Mynah both butt out of discussions on smoking. Your bias means that you add very little to the discussion and as my previous post shows you are arguing facts that are no where close to true.

Again from the article being discussed:

Using this figure, some economists might suggest that cigarette excise taxes in many states already are high enough to recover society’s portion of the cost of smoking.

reply to post by RFBurns


You know what? Uncle. I give up. You win. Keep smoking.....please.

Honestly anyone that smokes who can:
- Sprint up 6 flights of stairs without becoming winded.
- Swim underwater 4 pool lengths.
- Expect to live past 100.
- Boast of all their perfect white teeth.
- Impress their business partners and clients alike.
- Declare immunity from any adverse effects of smoking.
- Smokes but can quit whenever he wants.

Is a far better man than I. (Superman, is that you?)

Ah denial, what a great place to be. I'd love to go back and visit except I quit drinking years ago. What's the definition of insanity again?

Now about that bet............I suppose we'll see.

regards...KK

[edit on 29-1-2009 by kinda kurious]

reply to post by TheRedneck


Wow that is eloquent. Even better than in the other thread you already posted it in. They should print that as "Smoker's Rights" on every single pack. Right below the Surgeon General's Warning.

Let's make ATS = Annoying The Smokers.

regards....KK






[edit on 29-1-2009 by kinda kurious]

reply to post by kinda kurious


I never implied that I am better than you, however your ranting about my smoking suggests that it is YOU who are implying that YOU are better than me.

Well its been a nice chit chat. Have a nice day.

Cheers!!!!

(lights one up)

Originally posted by RFBurns

YOU are better than me.

Well I must agree with you there.

You finally got me figured out.

Toodles...KK

[edit on 29-1-2009 by kinda kurious]

Originally posted by Wildbob77
I don't really care if you smoke or not.

It's your right.

But I shouldn't have to pay for your health care.

Let's be fair. It's your choice to smoke. It should be my choice to not have to pay for your habit.

yes, I agree, but then, if you crashed your car because you were drunk, so, the state shouldnt treat you too ...

I agree with this ... but it would be for a lot of things, not just smoke ... alcohol ...

the other guy said mcdonalds ... yeah, it makes "sense", but hey, lets not get all hyped up ...

reply to post by Mynaeris


I have to say that as a smoker, I am not less educated or earning less income. The fact that you could honestly say that smokers are ignorant and below nonsmokers is absolutely appalling. I happen to be quite proud of my acheivements, and if I want a cigarette to celebrate a delicious meal or long day at work, that is my right. I have to wonder why so many are so hurt by what adults do with their own money and lungs. Smokers aren't horrible or ignorant, they have merely found what they prefer to be addicted to. Its better than alcohol or heroin.

Originally posted by Wildbob77
I don't really care if you smoke or not.

It's your right.

But I shouldn't have to pay for your health care.

Let's be fair. It's your choice to smoke. It should be my choice to not have to pay for your habit.

My health care provider ( I smoke) charges $40.00 more per month for tobacco users than non-tobacco members. You aren't paying for my health care; I AM!

Another thing; cigarette taxes in Iowa are so high I am also paying for programs (through my State taxes) that I don't even use.

So, take your self-righteousness and go smoke it!

[edit on 30-1-2009 by CreeWolf]

Originally posted by Wildbob77
I don't really care if you smoke or not.

It's your right.

But I shouldn't have to pay for your health care.

Let's be fair. It's your choice to smoke. It should be my choice to not have to pay for your habit.

Have you ever gotten a bill in the mail that says you have to pay for Joe Blows cancer treatment from his smoking? NO you havent. While you are "researching" for a post like this, why dont you check out some of the other "actual" needeless things that the government is spending your tax dollars on. Things like the "flow rate of ketchup!" I guarantee youll put peoples smoking habits at the bottom of your list.

Just like another post says before me, there are a ton of things people do that are potentially self destructive, are you saying that your statement covers all of those other things? Or are you just a non-smoker that is singling out smokers?

Obesity is the highest risk factor of anything. So going by your standards I would suggest that all sweets and carb loaded foods be a minimum 80.00. The poor obese person is a drain to society because all those heart transplants, diabetic supplies, and artery surgeries cost big time! Even when they die they have to get special treatment to handle their large body to move it to the funeral home and even a special made casket! If only it wasn't a few quarters to grab that big ole bear claw from the vending machine. Make them use a financing plan to get those sweeties!

I would also suggest that the perfumes that women wear cost 500.00 per ounce because most of it causes me allergies, breathing problems, and medical bills. I also think that buying also includes insurance to cover when one finds difficulty breathing due to their taste in having in strong.




[edit on 30/1/2009 by toochaos4u]

reply to post by Wildbob77


tobacco and alcohol are the white mans poison. medical marijuana has been legal for awhile now. so get on the hemp train to fix the economy and promote breaking the propaganda walls that were persuaded upon degenerate overworked baby boomers that forgot their place and are now brainwashed sheepy.. baAaa

this is a futile topic

the majority of people are too stuck up and caught up in their "rights" to realize the negative impact things have

everyone will always just jump on the bandwagon and blah blah blah (insert any pro-smoking slogan and idea of your own)

bottom line is its pathetic how quick people are to defend their rights to smoke, yet sit there smoking doing nothing else when it comes to certain other rights that i wont bother getting into as it will just start a train derailment on this thread and have all the pro smokers start debating on how whatever i used as a metaphor is wrong

smoking hurts us all and before anyone else comes on here and argues that so many other things hurt us all too, i will say you're right

theres a lot of rights we have, theres a lot we dont, accept it, its the way it is


its just interesting it took only the 1st reply here on this thread to hear the stereotypical generic response by a pro-smoking person

you have the right to smoke
non smokers have the right not to be subjected to it
whos rights win?

no ones because people are too stubborn and stuck in their old ways to think outside of the box and come up with a solution acceptable to both parties

as i talked about in another thread, there are simple solutions to this, but they will never take place, because people will spend too much time and money fighting old ways and idea instead of coming to compromises and thinking outside of the box to remove problems

so until the box is broken and our thoughts are outside of it
there will always be a civil war about whos rights have the right to be right

[edit on 30-1-2009 by Dramey]

..:::Ok I Agree With Whoever Said Something About "Respectful Smoker" Or similar To That:::.. +Smokers Should Go Outside, Or Some Sort Of Designated Area.. Its Only RESPECTful! But For Someone To Want To Tell Us That We Can Not Smoke In OUR OWN HOME OR CAR Is Just Telling Us We Have No Rights Or Free Will... Smoking Is Not A "drug",... I Sure As Hell Dont Get High From It.. But I Like It, Just Like I'm Sure You Like Your Drink... Or Big Mac. That # Will Kill Ya Just AS Fast... Or Like Other Say :iesel! And Our Fake Ass Food.. +TAPPED NUTRITION+.. Or Even Something As Simple As You Not Washing Your HAnds After taken A #... I Could Simply Get Some Life Threatening Bactiria Just Cuz Someone Isnt CONSIDERETE Enough To Stay Clean.. ANd I WOULD NEVER KNOW!!!+... Among Other EXamPLEs...


Just InForce The Respect From it.. From Everyone... In Every "toxic" Situation... But Please... Dont BE Selfish.. Think Things Thro And Try To Avoid Self Power Trips +NO NEED TO MOMMY+.. VISA VERA ECT.....


......::::WORLD PEASE::::...... Everyones Effert And Compermise

reply to post by theendisnear69


Show a little respect for people who don't enjoy secondhand smoke, would you? If you want to smoke, how about you pick a space that doesn't involve encroaching on the breathing space of others.

reply to post by Wildbob77


Dude, you can't put it that way. I ride a bike, so I shouldn't pay health care for people driving cars? I am very skinny, so I shouldn't pay health care for obese people? Where would it end?

DENY ignorance.

reply to post by Wildbob77


The fact is that we are all going to die from SOMETHING and unless you've lived like a hermit, in a cave. surviving on homemade trailmix and fish, wearing just a fig leaf, for your entire life. Then, you have, in some obscure way, cost a person, somewhere, to have had a moment or two shaved off their life. From the people that had to breathe the fumes from that flag you burned in college, to the liittle kid slaving in a Tiawanese sweat shop who sewed said flag, the fact is you are just as "inconsiderate" as any smoker........just another example of people blaming everything and everyone for all of their woes. And, boy, ism't California sorely missing all of the state revenue that was generated by those 'god awful smokers' now, huh? Oh, well, at least it helped with their smog problems.

Originally posted by Wildbob77
reply to post by Amaterasu

 

This may come as a surprise to you but I favor the legalization of all drugs.

Why? Because the only thing that making them illegal does is hold up the price.Then the junkie down the street has to whack you over the head to steal your wallet to fund his/her habit.

If you made drugs legal, I think that initially you may have more people using but in the long run no one wants to be a junkie. Take the money out of it and you'll have less crime. You could even take some of the money that your wouldn't need to spend on law enforcement and spend it on helping people get clean.

I stopped reading your thread here. Why because this statment is the most hipocritical abomination I've ever heard. Have you ever seen what meth does to a person? what about the costs your sucking up from them? You ever seen the costs of perscription drugs for an aids paitient due to sharing freeking heroin needles? and you want to talk about ciggerette smokers being in "lower income" bracket I suggest you tour your local gehetto and use some of you amazing powers of observation to see how rediculous and egotistical the above statment is.

How about the uninsured prostitutes? that are also addicticted to illegall drugs or lets say teen prostitutes with children addicted to illegal drugs, I'm sure the local prostitute union (LPU) gives them a great rate on thier health care insurance, scarcasim detected? much so the cost of a pack of ciggerettes varries from the low $2 to the high $5 thats it all of this Imaginary extra costs B.S makes as much sence as opening the mexican border and putting up a big green light.

In fact you don't know where every dollar of your (and my) taxes really goes anyways, what about corrupt polliticians? what about the mindless research projacts that come up with those statistics anyways? You don't directly pay for any smokers medical expences!

I smoke.
I rarely smoke in doors even if it is permited.
I live in GA so we can't smoke in public buildings (such as bars) nor can we be standing within 20 feet of an entrance to a public building.
I also am under the "smoker" clause for my HMO insurance provider.
I pay an extra $40.00/month for insurance because I smoke.
That is $480.00/year
I smoke Camel Lights. A single pack is $3.97 or a carton is around $27.00.
These prices include taxes that pay for governement provided health care.

My point?
Smoking is a personal choice. I started smoking when I was 22. I knew the dangers, the risks, the costs, and I still started smoking cigerrettes. My grandfather died of lung cancer from smoking, my fiance's grandfather died of lung cancer from smoking, and my brother-in-law is on the verge of dieing from Lymphoma that spread to his lungs and various other organs, but he never smoked. Did I choose to start smoking because I'm an idiot? Yeah, pretty much. But I am realistic enough to know smoking doesn't automatically put a check mark next to lung cancer on my death certificate. (I realize there are no check marks on death certificates that signify cause of death)
I enjoy smoking. It gives me a free break at work, it feels good after a meal, and allows me to slow down and think about things. I do some of my best thinking over a smoke. After 4 years I smoke less than a pack a day (about a pack every 2 days). I can and will stop when I am actually ready too, its pointless for me to try to stop if my mind isn't in it. I am reaching the point now though where it has lost its appeal to me and I will soon be taking steps to quit.

the reason for anyone to smoke is that they are addicted and it's really not that easy to stop.

the reasons to start smoking are various, curiosity, peer pressure, rebellion etc. and this normally starts as a teenager, how many 30 year old do you know that have just started smoking?

as for everyone else paying for the health costs: I smoke tobacco so will only go into the prices of this.

when on holiday i can buy a pack for equivalent to £2, cost here in uk £12.

at 2 packs per week thats £20 tax, almost £1000 per year.

as I started when I was 15 by the time I'm say 50 and need some health care related to smoking I will have put £35000 into this care.

in the Uk 28% of the population smoke, thats around 13 million.
thats 13 million people paying an average of £1000 per year to the government in taxes.

DO YOU REALLY THINK THE GOVERNMENT WANTS US ALL TO STOP.