In Idaho, Smoking Burns a Million Dollar Hole in Your Wallet
If you need a little more encouragement to kick the habit, this might do it. A smoker in Idaho spends over a million dollars in a lifetime feeding the habit, and it costs the rest of us something too.
Idaho ranks 10th on a list that highlights real costs of smoking, and some of these numbers are unbelievable. The lifetime cost of smoking in Idaho is $1.2 million, according to Wallethub. Smokers are spending about $24,000 per year, according to the report, not only on cigarettes, but also on medical issues that pop up because of smoking. Lost income is also factored in, along with issues that creep in because of second hand smoke like health problems and lost productivity.
It's harder to smoke in Boise than it used to be, and that may be because state law cracks down hard on smoking, and Boise's smoking ordinance fills in most gaps. Boise's anti-smoking ordinance includes "all enclosed places of employment within the City and all or part of Boise’s public parks, including the Greenbelt." Smoking is banned at bars, private clubs, inside taxis, employee break rooms, and within 20 feet of a bus stop, among other places.
Kentucky, Georgia, North Carolina, and Mississippi are among the states that spend more on smoking, and Idaho is the 10th most expensive state for smokers.
My girls are learning in school that smoking isn't a healthy habit, and they tell me they're never going to start. Good, because if ya do, ain't no money left for college! My dad kicked the habit when he was in his twenties, and might have saved six figures, according to this. Quitting is not easy, but if it's a goal of yours for 2018, this should provide a lot of motivation. You can do it.