1. In 1999, the total costs of smoking in Calif. were $15.9 billion, $475 per resident and $3,331 per person that smokes. Direct costs were $8.6 billion (54% of total), indirect costs due to lost productivity from illness were $1.5 billion (10%) and indirect costs due to premature deaths were $5.7 billion (36%). The cost of smoking was $9.4 billion for men and $6.3 billion for women. 43,3137 deaths due to smoking and 535,000 pears of life lost. The value of life lost per death averaged $132,000 or 12.4 years. (Tobacco Control, Sept. 2004, Vol 13, Num 3, pages 264-267).

2. 2000-2001, the total economic costs associated with cigarette smoking are estimated at $7.18 per pack of cigarettes sold in the US (CDC. Annual smoking-attributable mortality, years of potential life lost, and economic costs – US, 1995-1999. MMWR2002;54:625-628).

3. The American Lung Association: State of Tobacco Control: 2006 lists the economic costs due to smoking as $15,210,112,000.

4. At the 13th World Conference on Tobacco or health held on July 14, 2006, Cowling and Yang presented a paper “Smoking-attributable cancer mortality in Calif., 1979-2002 found that smoking related health outcomes happen earlier and at accelerated pace in California in comparison to the rest of the US because the smoking mortality rate dropped 18.8% in Calif. from 126.1 per 100,000 in 1979 to 102.4 in 2002 while the rest of the country only dropped 2.4%.

5. Donald Taylor, Assistant Professor of public policy studies at Duke University says that the true cost of each pack of cigarettes sold in the US is $40 with the family of the person who smoked bearing more than 13% of the cost. He says that although the majority of the cost ($32.78) is borne by the smoker in shortened lifespan, lower wages and increased health care costs, he found that families or households of the smoker pay $5.444. Society pays $1.44 of the cost. www.dukenews.duke.edu/2006/06/secondhandtip_print.htm

6. If the cost of a pack of cigarettes if $5, cigarettes cost a pack-a-day smoker $1,825 /year or $18,000 in a decade. If you took $2000/ear from age 18 to 65 and put it into a ROTH IRA at 11% per year you would have a tax-free cash hoard of nearly $3 million when you retired. Insurance is higher for people who some (25-35% for life and health insurance). There is a lower resale value on cars and homes because they smell – this can mean 1000s of dollars. If you smoke, you will most likely die earlier, during your prime income-earning years (late 40s and early 50s) this will deprive your family of income. You children are also more likely to pick up your habit, continuing the drain you their health and the economy.
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