avatarABINAS JAGERNAUTH

Summary

The article discusses the personal and financial benefits of quitting smoking, emphasizing the health improvements and monetary savings that can be achieved.

Abstract

The author reflects on their own journey of quitting smoking, initially starting in high school and eventually stopping in their forties. The decision to quit was driven by health concerns and the desire to avoid the high taxes on tobacco products, which the author equates to "sin taxes." The article highlights the serious health risks associated with smoking, including various diseases, and the social shift away from accepting smoking in public spaces. By quitting, the author points out the substantial savings one can accumulate over time, considering the high cost of cigarettes due to heavy taxation. The personal benefits of becoming a non-smoker extend beyond health and finances, including social and aesthetic improvements, and the peace of mind from no longer contributing to government revenue through "sin taxes."

Opinions

  • Smoking was once common and socially acceptable, but attitudes have shifted, and it is now seen as a health hazard and socially unacceptable in many places.
  • The author believes that the government's heavy taxation on tobacco products, known as "sin taxes," is an additional reason to quit smoking, as it is an unnecessary financial burden.
  • Quitting smoking can lead to significant financial savings, which the author illustrates with calculations of potential savings over ten years, considering the high cost of cigarettes and taxes.
  • The article suggests that the benefits of quitting smoking go beyond health and financial gains, including improved social interactions due to the absence of second-hand smoke and better personal hygiene.
  • The author expresses a sense of satisfaction from having quit smoking, viewing it as a habit with no positive contributions to their life.

Think of The Money You Will Save If You Stop Smoking Now

What Will You Do With All That Cash?

Photo by DESIGNECOLOGIST on Unsplash

I smoked in high school. That was a long time ago, and I don’t remember exactly how I began.

I attended high school in British Guiana and we had to wear a uniform that included a school tie. The rules were very strict, and smoking was not permitted. But I smoked with my friends during lunch hour and away from the school property.

Smoking was not discouraged in those days.

People smoked in offices, and at social gatherings, and it bothered no one. It’s interesting to note that most of the young women did not smoke. Some older ladies, the grandmothers, did, but they rolled their own.

I quit smoking in my forties.

Doctors have been encouraging their patients for years to give up smoking. Very few took this advice seriously, especially since many of the doctors smoked.

People thought of smoking as a health hazard after governments got involved. Governments taxed tobacco products heavily. This motivated many to quit smoking.

I quit smoking for two reasons — to improve my health, and to save more money.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, smoking causes such serious diseases as cancer, heart disease, stroke, lung diseases, diabetes, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis.

Non-smokers reduce the risk of becoming seriously ill and consequently live longer lives.

Smoking also became less and less acceptable at social gatherings. Also, in some jurisdictions, smoking in offices and other places of business was outlawed.

When smoking in offices was banned in Ottawa, Canada office staff took smoke breaks to smoke outside, even on freezing winter days.

How I Quit Smoking

I carried my cigarettes in my briefcase. One Saturday morning I left for a two-week vacation with my family and forgot to take my cigarettes with me. For the next two weeks, I didn’t smoke and before returning to work I took the cigarettes out of my briefcase and threw them in the garbage.

I have never smoked since.

The Money Angle

Tobacco products are taxed heavily.

Many years ago, the governments would include a “sin tax” in their annual budgets. A “sin tax” is a tax on booze and tobacco products. To me, this was just another excuse for the government to take my money, and I didn’t like it.

The “sin tax” motivated me to quit smoking. I didn’t want to give the government more of my money than I had to.

The Cost of Cigarettes

The price of an average pack of cigarettes in Ontario, Canada in 2020 was $11.33. This included Federal and Provincial taxes.

In 2018, the percentage of taxes included in a pack of cigarettes in Canada was 64.4%.

If you smoke a pack a day your cost is $11.33 X 365 = $4,135. In ten years that’s $41,350, and at least 65% of that amount, $26,878, is taxes. And these amounts are without the price of the cigarettes and the amount of the tax increasing, a very unlikely scenario.

How would your life have been better with at least $41,350 extra in your pocket over ten years, than in the pockets of the cigarette manufacturers and the government?

Some Benefits of Being a Non-Smoker

Here are some benefits of being a non-smoker besides an improvement in your health and finances.

  • Your clothes no longer smell of cigarette smoke. A smoker never notices it, but he and his clothes smell of smoke.
  • No nicotine-stained fingers and teeth.
  • If you smoked indoors, your house will no longer stink of cigarette smoke.
  • Your family, friends, and associates will not have to suffer from your second-hand smoke.
  • Non-smokers pay lower premiums on life insurance.

I am happy that I quit smoking. It was a habit that served no useful purpose.

Here is the link to my article on why everyone should own life insurance.

References: 1. The health effects of smoking. 2. The cost of cigarettes and taxes on cigarettes in Canada.

Life
Life Lessons
Health
Smoking
Healthy Lifestyle
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