Study examines ‘true’ cost of cigarettes -- and smoking

Health discussions about U.S. smokers usually revolve around numbers -- how many adults smoke (20.6%) and how many die each year (smoking accounts for 1 in 5 deaths), according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Smoking & Tobacco Use.

In September, the American Lung Assn. released a study by Penn State University that came up with a different kind of number: the “true” cost of a pack of cigarettes, state by state. The data show the average national cost of a pack at $5.51, but once factors like the loss of workplace productivity are factored in that number bloats to $18.05. Roll over each state to see the derived cost effects at “Smoking Cessation: The Economic Benefits.”

The association’s Florida chapter is sponsoring a quit smoking summit Thursday that will use these data to give smokers one more reason to stop, according to the Orlando Sentinel blog Vital Signs post “How much does a pack of cigarettes really cost?”

Ready to quit but need some tips? Check out SmokeFree.gov and programs offered by the American Lung Assn.

--Mary Forgione / Los Angeles Times