CT smoking costs total $4.9 million over a lifetime

A new analysis by Nerd Wallet finds that smokers in Connecticut cost an extra $4.9 million over a lifetime or $102,883 per year on average, the 4^th highest rate in the US. Only smokers in New York, the District of Columbia, and Maryland have higher costs. Costs include not only out-of-pocket costs for cigarettes, but also the medical costs of smoking, lost earnings (absenteeism, workplace bias and lower productivity), higher homeowner insurance premiums, costs of second-hand smoking, and the investment returns smokers would have earned on that money over their lifetimes if they didn’t smoke. Connecticut’s costs were driven by the highest smoking-related medical costs in the nation. We are 5^th in the nation on both out-of-pocket smoking costs and investment losses, and 7^th in income losses for smokers.

Imagine what you could do with an extra $4.9 million?

For help quitting, call the CT Quit Line at 1-800-QUIT-NOW.