Health experts say smokers may have an increased risk of developing severe complications from COVID-19 and according to the American Lung Society, tobacco use results in nearly half a million deaths in the U.S. each year.
The economic and societal costs of smoking are just as huge, according to the exorbitant personal finance website WalletHub, adding up to some $300 billion each year. And while Georgia may be one of the least expensive states for tobacco products, costs still add up substantially over a smoker’s lifetime.
"Georgia right now ranks 8th cheapest place to be a smoker, but even though it's cheaper than some places, it's still very expensive. If you smoke for a lifetime in Georgia, you would spend 1.8 million dollars on smoking."
Analyst Jill Gonzalez tells us what the true cost of smoking costs Georgians.
"It's not just the out-of-pocket cost, but it's also financial opportunity, healthcare costs at a higher premium- that adds up. Looking at the income loss per smoker, smokers actually tend to make about 20% less than non-smokers. Even other costs, non-smokers tend to get home insurance kickbacks as well. There's all of this other money that you don't know that you're losing."
For more information on the Real Cost of Smoking by State, visit WalletHub.com.
