Cost of Smoking In RI Is $2 Million Per Person Over Lifetime

Smokers in Rhode Island cost nearly $2 million in tobacco costs, healthcare costs and income loss to feed their smoking habits. According to a study by Wallethub, is the fifth most expensive place to smoke in the country among all 50 states and Washington, D.C.

According to the American Lung Association, across the United States, tobacco kills 480,000 people a year, and another 16 million Americans are living with a tobacco-caused disease. Economic costs of smoking are more than $300 billion, which includes both heatlhcare costs and loss of income.

SEE MAP BELOW: Where Does RI Rank Against Other States?

When ranking the states and estimating the total cost of smoking in each state, Wallethub calculated the cost of a cigarette pack per day, health care costs, income losses and miscellaneous costs for an 18-year-old person with a lifespan of 51 years. The average age a smoker dies is 69.

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In tobacco costs alone, Rhode Island smokers pay out nearly $1.5 million during their lifetime. Additionally, smokers from the state spend $224,000 on health insurance costs (49th in U.S.) and lose $227,000 (33rd in U.S.) in income due to their smoking habits. 

Among New England states, Rhode Island finished ahead of Connecticut (#50) and Massachusetts (#48). Vermont (#43), New Hampshire (#41) and Maine (#38) all finished in the lower-third of the rankings as well.

According to the Rhode Island Department of Health, "Rhode Island’s adult smoking rate has seen a dramatic reduction from 23% in 2001 to 17.4% in 2012."

RI Gets an "F" in Tobacco Prevention

Rhode Island has received an "F" grade for Tobacco Prevention from the American Lung Association as part of its "State of Tobacco 2015" report. The state also received a "D" grade in Access to Cessation Services. In better news, Rhode Island received an "A" grade in Smoke-Free Air and a "B" grade in Tobacco Taxes. 

According to American Lung Association in Rhode Island, these grades can be improved upon if elected officials take the following steps:

• Increase funding for the state's tobacco control program to $4 million per year
• Raise the price of tobacco products other than cigarettes to prevent youth initiation
• Close loopholes in the state smokefree workplace law, including for casinos/gaming establishments and hookah bars

 

TOBACCO COST PER STATE:

429 Too Many Requests

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