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The Amazing, True Cost of Smoking
Posted by: Dr. Mercola
November 03 2004 | 5,112 views

Contrary to what many may think, smoking is much more expensive than it is advertised. In fact, it's estimated that actual costs of smoking total nearly $40 a pack.

This estimation includes all the factors associated with smoking, not just merely the cost of one pack of cigarettes. Researchers have broken down these factors by cost:

  • $33 a pack for the cost of early deaths, smoking-related disabilities and other factors (which includes $20.28 a pack due to reduced life expectancy)
  • $5.44 a pack for the cost of the effect of secondhand smoke on significant others
  • $1.44 a pack for the cost of the effect of secondhand smoke on the society as a whole

At approximately $40 for every pack, the total cost over one smoker's lifetime equals nearly $171,000. In past studies, researchers only calculated medical and secondhand smoke costs. However, in this study researchers tried to take into account the entire range of lifetime costs.

The total was calculated using lifetime costs acquired by men and women who smoke at age 24. Researchers also estimated that many of these people would eventually quit. By smoking one pack of cigarettes:

  • A smoker's life is cut short by two hours
  • Men lose a total of 4.4 years of their life
  • Women lose a total of 2.4 years of their life

Interesting enough, many smokers are less afraid of dying than they are of acquiring a disabling disease such as emphysema. Though smokers don't spend much more time with a major disabling condition, they do become disabled sooner, resulting in a sooner death.

Chicago Sun-Times October 18, 2004



Dr. Mercola's Comments:
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Although many of you who read my daily blogs and twice-weekly newsletter don't smoke, chances are you probably know a loved one who does. That is why it is equally important for you to understand that cutting back smoking to just one cigarette a day does ALMOST NOTHING to a smoker's risk of cancer.

The only way to completely prevent cancer caused by smoking is through abstinence. However, it obviously is wise to not smoke -- but if one decides to stop smoking the best route is cold turkey and not gradual reduction.

Smokers frequently use cigarettes as a form of emotional support. Therefore, I highly recommend the new brain wave entrainment therapy, Insight and Focus Audio CDs, which I have to offer on my site. It is really inexpensive and is a marvelous tool to help people address their addictive tendencies.

As many of you may also know, I believe eating sugar is worse for you than smoking. As with smoking, it is possible to be addicted to sugar.

To help smokers, or sugar addicts, successfully quit and maintain a healthy diet, I found a wonderful tool that is at your disposal. Psychological acupressure techniques like the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) are a great way to get on the road to better health.

EFT uses simple tapping with the fingertips to input kinetic energy onto specific meridians on the head and chest while you think about your specific problem. Voice positive affirmations are also incorporated into this technique.

Whether you suffer from a traumatic event, an addiction, disease or pain, energy psychology tools are an amazing tool to quickly, efficiently and effectively solve the problem. These tools were developed in psychology, not medicine and most clinicians that practice this have psych training. EFT will guide you through it.

For more information on this subject, you can view my free EFT manual or try my risk free EFT Series on DVD or VHS, which provides in-depth instruction on EFT.



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