⚫ A new report shows the real cost of smoking, state by state

⚫ Costs go beyond just the price of tobacco

⚫ New Jersey posts the 12th highest per-smoker cost in the nation


The public knows how detrimental smoking can be to one's health. But can you even start to imagine the actual cost of such an addictive habit?

The price goes way behind just the cost of a pack or two of cigarettes per day.

Tobacco, the leading cause of lung cancer, also carries with it a number of hidden costs that really add up over the lifetime of a user.

An analysis released on Wednesday by WalletHub goes state by state to find the true cost of smoking, admittedly with the goal of getting smokers to kick the habit. Smoking rates have gone down, but it's still an everyday practice for tens of millions of U.S. residents.

To determine the trust cost of smoking, WalletHub looked at several measures across key cost categories: out-of-pocket; financial opportunity; health care; income loss; and "other," such as homeowner's insurance.

NJ smoking costs

According to the report, New Jersey posts the 12th highest cost of smoking in the country.

Over 12 months, the average Garden State smoker is actually putting out close to $94,000, the report says.

Source: WalletHub

That figure includes $3,920 spent yearly on tobacco products.

SEE ALSO: Where you can stretch your paycheck the furthest in NJ

"That's money that can be put toward gas, your mortgage, or your groceries," Chip Lupo, WalletHub analyst, told New Jersey 101.5.

Over a lifetime, a smoker in New Jersey is spending nearly $4.5 million unnecessarily, according to the report.

"Direct medical costs to treat smoking-connected health complications are one of the biggest financial drains caused by tobacco use," the report says.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cigarette smoking cost the U.S. $600 billion in 2018.

The CDC noted that increasing the price of tobacco is an effective way to reduce demand.

According to the latest figures from the New Jersey Department of Health, about 10.8% of New Jersey adults smoke cigarettes regularly.

Much of WalletHub's top 10 was taken UP by Northeast states and the District of Columbia. New York was at the top, followed by D.C, Maryland, Massachusetts in Rhode Island.

Posting a yearly cost per smoker of $63,778, South Carolina ranked 51st (best) in the country.

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