The Actual Cost of Smoking

Smoking does more than strip years off your life—it takes tons of money out of your pocket, too.

The argument against smoking is a strong one: 87 percent of lung cancer deaths are caused by smoking; smoking can also lead to heart and blood vessel disease and stroke; and secondhand smoke exposure is just as dangerous as smoking.

But, if you’re one of the roughly 36 million smokers in the U.S. that hasn’t quit smoking yet for your own health (and the health of those around you), maybe money is reason enough to quit for good.

A recent report by WalletHub broke down the overall cost of smoking over a lifetime by state. In New York alone, the average cost of smoking over a lifetime is more than $2 million—that’s $2,330,381 to be exact. In California, the number is only a bit lower, at $1,879,072.

Think of what you could do with that money—and healthy lungs, a longer life and the safety of your loved ones—if you kicked the habit today.

Photo credit: Timothy Paul Smith, Unsplash