Report: Cigarettes cost the most in New York

Achieving a New Year's resolution is always difficult, but better health and saving money represent powerful motivators.

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — Achieving a New Year's resolution is always difficult, but better health and saving money represent powerful motivators. That's why, if you resolved to quit smoking in 2024, a new report on smoking in New York might make it easier.

WalletHub said that the most expensive state for smokers is New York, costing the average smoker thousands per year. WalletHub stated that out-of-pocket costs for a pack-a-day smoker in New York retail for about $4,705 per year.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), roughly 11.5% of U.S. adults smoked cigarettes in 2021. If those 28.3 million people smoked a pack a day, it would add up to $133,151,005,000 spent on cigarettes that year, based on WalletHub's numbers.

Extending these figures over a lifetime of smoking in New York would cost about $225,833 in cigarettes alone. That's almost a quarter of a million dollars spent just on cigarettes for the average smoker.

But this doesn't include the healthcare costs associated with tobacco, totaling about $5,733 annually. In a lifetime, the cost for the average New York smoker comes to about $275,187 for healthcare complications.

According to the CDC, cigarette smoking remains the leading cause of preventable disease, disability, and death in the U.S. Plus, the average smoker in New York spends over $500,000 to buy cigarettes and pay for health care associated with smoking tobacco. So, check out some tips to quit:

• Use nicotine replacement therapy like patches, gum, lozenges, or nasal spray to gradually ween you off of nicotine and help manage withdrawal.
• Replace smoking with exercise, chewing gum, and hobbies to distract you.
• Understand what situations, emotions, or activities trigger you, and find healthy coping mechanisms instead.
• Seek support from loved ones, a support group, or a professional to motivate you.
• Reward yourself for milestones.
• Create a temptation-free environment by purging cigarettes, lighters, and ashtrays from your spaces.