New study says the individual lifetime cost of smoking in Washington is in the millions
Although it might seem a little out of the norm to see people smoking cigarettes instead of e-cigarettes or vapes these days, there were over 49 million cigarette smokers in the U.S. in 2022, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
While cigarette smoking has declined in recent years, it is still the leading cause of preventable illnesses and deaths in the world. According to the American Lung Association, cigarette smoking and exposure to secondhand cigarette smoke accounts for 490,000 deaths in the U.S.
In 1964, it was proven that cigarette smoking causes lung cancer, and accounts for nearly 90% of lung cancer deaths, according to the ALA. Since then, it has been linked to several other health diseases such as blindness, gum disease, Type 2 diabetes and colorectal cancer.
But cigarette smoking doesn’t only affect your health, it also has a major impact on your finances.
According to the ALA, cigarette smoking costs the U.S. nearly $600 billion every year, with more than $241 billion in medical care alone.
A recent study by Wallethub analyzed the the cost of smoking in all of the 50 states and the District of Columbia and ranked each state from the costliest states for smoking to the least costly. The study analyzed and calculated the monetary losses including the annual cost of a pack of cigarettes per day and health care expenses caused by smoking to determine the true cost of smoking.
Washington was among the top 10 costliest states for smoking, according to the study.
Which state costs the most for smokers?
The study analyzed the financial impact that smoking tobacco has on people in a single year as well as over a lifetime. To calculate the cost of smoking, Wallethub looked at out-of-pocket cost of smoking, financial opportunity cost, health care cost per smoker, income loss per smoker and other costs such as homeowner’s insurance.
The 10 costliest states for smoking in America, according to the study, are:
No. 1 - New York - $5.42 million
No. 2 - District of Columbia - $5.37 million
No. 3 - Maryland - $5.34 million
No. 4 -Massachusetts - $5.14 million
No. 5 - Rhode Island - $5.09 million
No. 6 - Connecticut - $5.03 million
No. 7 - Minnesota - $4.73 million
No. 8 - Hawai’i - $4.65 million
No. 9 - Alaska - $4.57 million
No. 10 - Washington - $4.54 million
Chip Lupo, an analyst at Wallethub, stated in the study that people who buy cigarettes over the span of their adult lifetime can spend hundred of thousands of dollars, but that doesn’t compare to the hidden costs of smoking.
“Over a lifetime, smokers lose out on millions of dollars they could have made if they’d invested the money they spent on tobacco,” Lupo said. “Smokers also tend to have lower wages, higher health care costs and higher home insurance premiums.”
The total lifetime cost individual smokers in the state of Washington is $4.54 million, but how much does that average out per year and how much income do Washington smokers miss out on?
Cost of smoking in Washington
The study ranks Washington as the 10th-costliest state for the the lifetime cost of smoking and in cost of smoking per year.
According to the study, smoking in Washington costs a person $94,644 every year.
In 2022, about 10% of adults in Washington and about 2.2% of high schoolers reported smoking cigarettes, according to the ALA.
Lupo told the News Tribune in an email that, of the total lifetime cost of smoking cigarettes, $196,399 is spent on out-of-pocket expenses for purchasing cigarettes. While this is a large financial loss, the cost of not investing this money and healthcare related costs is even greater.
“Out-of-pocket expenses for cigarettes alone amount to $196,399, while the cost of not investing that money totals $3,328,092,” Lupo said. “Additionally, smoking-related healthcare expenses add $221,788, and health issues linked to smoking reduce lifetime earnings by $732,812.”
Lupo added that while smoking costs may vary across the country, one thing hasn’t changed: “Quitting smoking is both a life-saving and financially transformative decision.”
Resources to quit smoking
Quitting smoking may be challenging, but the state of Washington offers several resources to help kick the habit.
According to the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department, the process of quitting tobacco is easier if you make a plan. TPCHD suggests on their website to include the following in your plan:
Choose a date to quit that is within the following seven days.
Decide if you will slowly quit or if you will quit all at once.
Decide of you need counseling, medications, a healthcare provider or a support group to help you quit.
Prepare ways to help deal with cravings on your quit day.
Quit on your quit date.
In Washington and under the Affordable Care Act, all health insurance plans cover tobacco dependence treatment that include free resources for two attempts per year. The resources included are four counseling sessions that can be conducted in person, over the phone or in a group setting as well as a 90-day supply of prescription medication for tobacco dependence that is approved by the FDA, according to the TPCHD.
The state also has a hotline to help people quit smoking that has counselors available every day, 24 hours a day except on Thanksgiving, Independence Day and Christmas Day. Those interested can call 1-800-QUIT-NOW or text “READY” to 200-400 to receive free counseling and nicotine patches or gum.
There is also the 2Morrow Health app that is intended to help people learn new ways to deal with their cravings and urges, and allows users to track their progress along the way. There two versions of this app, one is meant to help people quit smoking and tobacco and the other version is meant to help people stop vaping.
For a full list of resources, visit the Washington State Department of Health website.
This story was originally published January 17, 2025 at 10:21 AM.
