Your money up in smoke
Incentive to kick the habit could be in your walletBy JESSE HELLING, Messenger staff writer
Article Photos
A pack of Marlboro cigarettes sells for $5.09, plus tax, at a local convenience store. That means that someone who swings by on their way to work each morning is shelling out more than $25.45 per week. Add in the weekends and the price goes up to $35.63.
At this price, a pack-a-day smoker would spend more than $1,857.85 over the course of a year, enough for round-trip airfare for two to see Marlboros being made in Richmond, Va.
If they start at the legal age of 18, by the time they hit 30, they've spent more than $22,294.20 - plenty to buy nine 50-inch plasma screen televisions.
By age 65, one pack of cigarettes a day adds up to $87,300.15, meaning a smoker would have spent enough to send their grandchild to college.
Despite increasingly severe restrictions on when and where people can light up, cigarette consumption is a right, as many smokers are quick to point out.
But that does not deter efforts to convince people to quit - or not to begin in the first place.
Economic impact, as well as raising awareness of health issues, are two means by which the American Cancer Society hopes to convince people to quit smoking.
A recent $1-per-pack tax increase on cigarettes has been cited by legislators as a means to diminish smoking in Iowa. Smoking rates among Iowa adults dropped from 21.4 percent in 2006 to 19.4 percent in 2007, according to the Iowa Department of Public Health.
Today is the 33rd Great American Smoke-Out, an event organized by the American Cancer Society.
In past years, the smoke-out implored smokers to give up their cigarettes for the day.
"Things have changed over the years," said Kathy Holdefer, a spokeswoman for the American Cancer Society. "The smoke-out isn't just a one-day thing. We're trying to encourage smokers to use the date as the day they give up smoking for good."
That's not to say that quitting for just a day is not without benefit.
Indeed, a smoker's health begins to improve almost immediately after their last puff.
After the first 12 hours of quitting, carbon monoxide levels in a smoker's bloodstream return to normal, according to a report by the United States surgeon general.
Within two weeks, circulation and lung function begin to improve. Once a month has past, coughing and shortness of breath decrease.
By the time someone has given up smoking for a year, the excess risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a smoker, according to the surgeon general's report. Ten years after kicking the smoking habit, lung cancer death rates are half that of a continuing smoker.
"Heavy, longtime smokers have the most to gain by quitting," Holdefer said.
Giving up smoking is not an easy task for most.
To aid in the process, the American Cancer Society offers free counseling through Quitline, which can point someone who wants to quit smoking toward specialists in their area, Holdefer said.
"Counselors are available 24 hours per day," she said.
Quitline counselors can be reached at (800) 227-2345.
Contact Jesse Helling at (515) 573-2141 or jhelling@messengernews.net
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Dejavue
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11-26-08 6:32 AM
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mongococo: You are one sick individual to be focusing on fat people so much.
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Anderson
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11-22-08 9:57 AM
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You are humorless, Dejavue. Try to lighten up and have a little fun once in while.
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mongococo
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11-21-08 9:08 PM
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Dej your so full of whatever. Your windows is a joke, and someone indulging in food does not invade my personal space. Walk into the mall and try to walk around the fat people, take a plane or train and see who is invading your space. everyone. How many times did you bbq this summer. I told my neighbor to stop cooking outdoors because of the smoke. My smoking helps 100 of kids every day with my taxes for health care for low income family. What have you done for kids. This year in Iowa 27 people died from Dui drivers and 300 injuries from drinking and how many from smoking. You cant find a count. Rise taxes on liq and not cigs.
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RUKIDDINGME
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11-21-08 9:00 AM
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Iowa's clean air act has actually saved me money. I no longer frequent any eating or drinking establishments in Fort Dodge or surrounding areas. Really saves on gas and that means less air pollution for you whiners also. If Iowa would ban the sale of alcohol in bars and eating establishments, that would take care of some other problems like underage drinking and drinking and driving. So, I say, smoke em if you got em. Just stay home and do it. If the neighbors complain, they can always move. It's a free country. Kind of.
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Dejavue
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11-21-08 8:01 AM
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mongococo, I guess the laugh is on you because your online cigarettes bought from foreign countries are probably full of drywall, cement and paint products. Typical of counterfeit products. Good old China at its best. What do overweight, heavy, obese, people have to do with cigarettes? They are paying double the price out of their own pocket. Once for medical expenses if they have any and twice for leading a less productive life. Everyone has has very high insurance premiums that are overinflated. Someone indulging in food does not invade my personal space.
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Mailander
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11-20-08 6:43 PM
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Perhaps Anderson could post a spreadsheet on the "high costs of old age" as compared to the ridiculous health care costs everyone else has to pay because someone made a stupid health care decision. Dejavue is right. When "exercising your freedom" makes others sick, you're not making a choice-you're committing a careless and dangerous act. If you've decided to die of lung cancer or emphysema that is your business--choose away Great American--when your "habit" becomes a danger to my health (second hand smoke), you should shut your window for double the cancerous pleasure and keep it out of my face.
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mongococo
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11-20-08 6:15 PM
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Another point. You can buy cigs on line for around $2.00 per pack. Also was in Canada last month and I get cantons for 12.00 Pall Mall. It's tax money for someone. Look at all the fat people and the money we use to health care. Check out the cig company and see who they own. Everyone eats cheese i'm sure and who owns RJ Reynolds ( Kraft food)so every cents you spend on cheese you are buying into some company. The high cost is hurting the budget because people quit or goes somewhere else to buy. It's a losing battle. So stop complaining and close your windows.
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mongococo
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11-20-08 6:06 PM
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Dejavue---You are so full of crap. The other day, I was behind a school bus and wow, I had to turn off my car because of the smoke, get a life man. I smoke for 50 years and in my 70's and when I think of all the money is paid into the state with taxes so everyone can live a life, I'm really happy to know I'm doing my share. Plus the taxes go into a General fund to support kids without ins and health care so I'm donig my part. Everyone who doesn't smoke should be thanking the people who do because we are paying your taxes for everything. YOur window story is sick, thing of another story.
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VTwinJim
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11-20-08 4:03 PM
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Every cloud of smoke seems to have a silver lining! Anderson; Your tearing me up...L.O.L..... I like it.. Skippy I quit over I think now 25 Years ago. I had those feelings for a long long time as well. But when I see all those cig's now I wish they would have never been invented. But People should still have the right to choose. Even now I know that those baby's are real Killer's.
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Skippy
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11-20-08 11:15 AM
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"Giving up smoking is not an easy task...." That is for sure. I quit smoking more than 15 years ago after more than 50 years of smoking, and even today when I walk past the checkout stands at the grocery store and see all those cigars lined up I still find myself hungering for just one more cigar. The article's statement quoted above is a huge understatement.
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Anderson
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11-20-08 11:08 AM
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Let them smoke, and also eat all that refined sugar that makes people so attractive to walk behind; saves the rest of us a bundle. Dutch found smokers and diabetics lived 6 and 4 years less than others, actually saving about a half million dollars in each case in the high social costs of old age. Every cloud of smoke seems to have a silver lining!
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VTwinJim
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11-20-08 10:36 AM
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Dejavue; You need to have the clean air act passed in your neighbor hood. It sounds like your homes are also built to close together, check your Zoning law's. I sure hope your neighbor does not eat Mexican food in" YOUR Spring Time". L.O.L. now that would be terrible on your Lung's. My goodness get a life.
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bigpoppy
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11-20-08 8:13 AM
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Just go to missouri or south dakota or order them off the net get some good buys on smokes smokes there cheap in other places.Just because they are high here doesn't mean they are in other places. There is always going to be a place to get cheap smokes.
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Dejavue
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11-20-08 7:46 AM
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Who cares if smoking goes away all together. My freedom is being invaded every time cigarette smoke drifts in to my personal space. In the spring, I open my windows to get some nice fresh air, and there is nothing worse than a nasty neighbor's smoke filtering over into my nice, fresh smoke-free house. I hope they keep raising the price higher so no one can afford to smoke. Gee, maybe people will have more money in their pocket and live a little longer.
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scarum
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11-20-08 6:07 AM
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Thank you, MisterObvious! Very well said.
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MisterObvious
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11-20-08 2:48 AM
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I am not a smoker (I was previously for 12 years), but there goes another freedom. Yes, it's bad for you, but it's YOUR choice. What next? Are going to lose the 2nd amendment? What then? Where does it end? Geesh.... We need to stop being the democracy we have been and get back to being a Republic. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the REPUBLIC for which it stands; one nation under God, indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all. The greatest minds of their times created these principles and it is time to get back to them. God Bless America!
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