• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster

2

Meet a 71-year-old who retired as a radiologist and professor, and now runs a banana-skewer business: ‘I never want to retire. Why would you do that?’

3

Hilton received 12,000 Gen Z applications for just 72 internship spots—its CHRO says AI has made the hospitality gigs more competitive

1

Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster

2

Meet a 71-year-old who retired as a radiologist and professor, and now runs a banana-skewer business: ‘I never want to retire. Why would you do that?’

3

Hilton received 12,000 Gen Z applications for just 72 internship spots—its CHRO says AI has made the hospitality gigs more competitive
HealthSmoking

The Cost of Smoking: Quit and You Could Buy a New Car Every Year

By
Brittany Shoot
Brittany Shoot
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Brittany Shoot
Brittany Shoot
Down Arrow Button Icon
January 9, 2019, 5:31 PM ET
Google source logo
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Smoking kills people, but the habit gets their wallets first. While research has long proven a nicotine addiction causes harm to one’s health, new analysis proves it causes serious damage to financial health too.

Smokers in Connecticut, the state that ranks highest in terms of the financial cost of cigarette smoking, are spending nearly $56,000 annually on their habit, according to new analysis published Wednesday by personal finance website WalletHub. Over their lifetimes, smokers in Connecticut are spending more than $2.8 million.

WalletHub’s analysis looks at the cost of smoking over both a year and a lifetime of tobacco use. The totals are broken down by state, which accounts for variables such as tobacco prices and taxes, as well as healthcare costs and income loss due to related health issues.

Looking at the United States as a whole, smoking costs the country over $300 billion annually, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The WalletHub study also points to the mortality figures associated with smoking. The U.S. Surgeon General reports that since 1964, smoking-related illnesses have claimed the lives of more than 20 million Americans, and 2.5 million of those were non-smokers who suffered the effects of secondhand smoke. Smoking is a leading cause of lung cancer, and smoking also causes health issues such as chronic bronchitis and emphysema.

This may also be true for e-cigarettes, though the jury is still out. While e-cig producers such as Juul say vaping is safer than traditional smoking, some studies have shown that people who smoke e-cigs have the same toxic chemicals in their bodies as regular cigarette smokers, even when the e-cigs don’t contain nicotine. Chemicals such aspropylene glycol and glycerin are used in e-cigs to preserve the flavor, the very thing that seems to motivate people to opt for vaping over cigarette smoking. Vaping has become so popular with teens, the FDA is considering a ban on online e-cigarette sales.

There is at least some good news on the tobacco front, though. Smoking among adults in the U.S. fell to an all-time low in 2018.

About the Author
By Brittany Shoot
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Health


Most Popular

Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • TikTok icon
  • YouTube icon

    Latest in Health


    Most Popular

    © 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
    FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.