Quit Smoking By The Numbers
By W.Michael Anderson
I wanted to quit smoking for 20 years, then I quit 26 months ago. I am 60 years old tomorrow. I coughed with my first cigarette at the reckless age of 16. That’s a long time ago. My final quit date was August 17, 2005. I enjoy numbers, well most of the time. Not too much during tax time but I enjoy helping my 14 year old with his geometry. But here is some numbers which are disturbing.
Let’s depict my smoking experience with simple numbers. Let’s make some assumption which if anything they understate the truth
-Total smoking years – say 40 years…
First ten years – 1 pack a day at $1 per pack
Second ten years – 2 packs per day at $1.50 per pack
Third ten years -2 packs per day at $2.00 per pack
Last ten years – 1 pack per day at $3.00 per pack.
OK, let’s calculate what smoking cost me in out of pocket dollars for my cigarette purchases.
First ten years …………$ 3650.00
Second ten years……..$10950.00
Third ten years………..$14600.00
Last ten years………….$10950.00
Total Cash Paid Out….$40150.00
Now this $40,000.00 does not take into account the time value of money or the relative buying power of a 1970 dollar versus today’s dollar. Additional costs would be lighters, dry cleaning, damaged suits and other clothes at say $500 per year for 40 years, that’s $20000. Then you have damaged vehicles, furniture and rugs. The reduced resale value of vehicles and houses is difficult to estimate so let’s just put in an estimate at $20000 over 40 years, that’s 3 houses and 17 vehicles. That sounds fair doesn’t it? Now let’s consider time off sick and medical expenses. Most of my life I have worked for myself so the cost of this ‘time lost’ category is very difficult to estimate. I wonder how many orders I lost because my customer did not approve or appreciate of my smoking habit? OK enough it’s starting to be very painful. If we consider all of the above, the cost of my smoking would be far in excess of $100,000.00 in today’s dollars.
Now here is the cherry on top, that does not take into consideration my limited income potential during the past seven years. I suffer from Copd and severe emphysema. Since 2000, my ability to work drastically diminished. As of 2004 I could no longer predictably function in a ‘traditional’ workplace due to the symptoms of Copd and severe emphysema. OK, enough is enough, probably all in all the estimate should be at least $200,000.00. This is very very conservative number. Now it is not a fortune, but that is my elective and consequential out of pocket cost due to smoking to date. Do you think that I would prefer to have that money in an IRS? How about you?
The future cost for me is uncertain. My future will likely include significant medical expenses. My future may not include the ability to generate a predictable income. To date I am making some progress in regaining my ability to breath normally. However, my future may be immediate retirement with federal disability as my only income, if I qualify. I will not even attempt to put a cost on this limitation to my potential future earnings.
I ran out these numbers to drive home the out of pocket costs of smoking. This does not even take future health costs into account. One last calculation, let’s assume 1 pack per day at a cost of $4.00 per pack going forward. If I were smoking now, then my out of pocket cost for one year would be almost $1500 per year. What could you do with an extra $1500 per year. That’s my wife and I out for dinner in a nice restaurant fifteen times a year. That’s my natural gas bill for the year. That’s a big chunk of a Paradise Island vacation for a week with my wife.
Quitting is difficult. You just must do it. Don’t talk about it, just do it. Take pills, wear patches, chew gum, get shots, take therapy sessions, use self hypnosis, do literally whatever it takes.
I do not know how old you are but let me paint you a real life picture. I played hockey during my teens, I was pretty good but not good enough for the pros. I was active outside all my life with hockey, tennis, fishing, horses and residential construction for 5 years. Remember I’m 60. At 50 I was fine. Sure my sinus colds each Spring and Fall were lasting longer, but nothing serious I thought. What happened is that I got too successful as a contractor and started spending all my time in the truck or supervising my crews, no activity, and I continued smoking. I rapidly went from a reasonably healthy 50 to a sick 55. By 57 my doctor said “Quit or pick out a headstone.” I quit, it took me from May to August, but I did it. Somewhere between 50 and 58 my lungs had had enough. A specialist told me I had Copd and severe emphysema. I got a handicap sign for my truck. Don’t laugh. My breathing was so bad that I couldn’t walk 50 yards without stopping for a rest, stairs forget it. 10 years before I was playing ice hockey in a men’s league with 20 and 30 year olds.
Do not let life slip by. I did. I am trying my best to get back to a normal lifestyle but my lack of breathing capacity is a tremendous handicap. Do not let this happen to you because of smoking. Quit smoking. It is just a social habit which has gone out of fashion. You don’t wear long sideburns anymore. You told your barber (or hair stylist today) to shave them off to reflect current fashion. Smoking is out of fashion.
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