Florida smokers will spend around $3 million on smoking in their lifetime, study finds

Lianna Norman, USA TODAY NETWORK - Florida

Smoking tobacco products doesn’t just take a toll on your physical health, it affects your finances as well.

Smoking can be expensive over time, especially if you’re a pack-a-day or new vape every two days kind of person.

According to a recent WalletHub study on the real cost of smoking and data from the CDC, smoking costs the U.S. more than $600 billion every year, including both medical care and lost productivity costs.

Here’s how much money Floridians spend on smoking and smoking-related healthcare costs, which states spend the most on smoking and how to access Tobacco Free Florida resources if you need them.

How much does smoking cost Floridians?

WalletHub’s “Real Cost of Smoking by State” report used data from the U.S. Census Bureau, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Insurance Information Institute and Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids to find the cost of smoking for each state.

The data collected was used to find the total potential financial loss for American smokers both yearly and over the course of their lives. The estimate was determined by measuring the lifetime and annual costs of a pack of cigarettes per day, health care expenses, income loss and other costs that those who smoke and are exposed to second-hand smoke could face.

According to WalletHub, the average smoker in Florida spends around $70,232 each year on the habit, which means a lifetime cost of $3,371,124.

Here’s a breakdown of WalletHub’s findings for how much the average smoker in Florida spends on smoking and related costs:

  • • Total cost per year per smoker – $70,232

  • • Total cost over lifetime per smoker – $3,371,124

    • • Out-of-pocket cost per smoker – $138,934 (Rank: 30th)

    • • Financial opportunity cost per smoker – $2,474,749 (Rank: 30th)

    • • Healthcare cost per smoker – $204,155 (Rank: 18th)

    • • Income loss per smoker – $533,753 (Rank: 38th)

    • • Other costs per smoker – $19,533 (Rank: 51st)

What states spend the most on smoking?

According to WalletHub’s report, the state that spends the most on smoking is New York, where the average smoker spends over $100,000 a year on smoking and related costs. The state that spends the least on smoking is Mississippi, where the average smoker spends over $59,000 each year.

Florida lands in the middle of this list, ranking as the 32nd state with the highest cost of smoking.

Here’s WalletHub’s list of the top five states that spend the most on smoking:

  1. New York: $5,188,634 lifetime cost of smoking

  2. District of Columbia: $5,100,092 lifetime cost of smoking

  3. Maryland: $4,970,008 lifetime cost of smoking

  4. Connecticut: $4,938,378 lifetime cost of smoking

  5. Rhode Island: $4,913,129 lifetime cost of smoking

Is there a free program to quit smoking in Florida?

If you live in Florida and are trying to kick a smoking habit, you don’t have to go cold turkey on your own. The state offers free resources to those trying to quit.

The Florida Department of Health offers free resources for those who are looking to quit smoking through its Tobacco Free Florida program. You can find what resources are available to you, find a resource center near you or connect with a “quit coach” on the Tobacco Free Florida website.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Florida smokers: Quitting could save you more than $70,000 yearly

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