Study: People continue smoking in bad economy

There's a brief little article from the Associated Press about smoking today.



Looks like some smokers out there are subscribing to the belief that smoking actually relieves stress... when in actuality, at best - smoking temporarily distracts you from the stress you're experiencing. Once the cigarette is put out, the problems (economic and otherwise) remain and you're right where you were before... only less healthy and wealthy.



The truth is that those of you who quit smoking will not only have more cash in your pockets, you'll also be less stressed out. You see, once you no longer have to worry about cigarettes and the effect smoking has on your health, you achieve peace of mind.

Also, if you choose to use hypnosis to quit, you'll learn how to relax yourself and eliminate stress in an easy and practical way. You just won't allow things to bother you as much.

Oh, and you'll save about $2,000 every single year you remain a non-smoker.

Here's the article from the AP:

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OLYMPIA, Wash. -- Financial stress doesn't push people away from smoking. A study shows people are more likely to smoke than quit during an economic downturn.

A survey from the American Legacy Foundation found that 77 percent of current smokers are stressed by the national economy. This stress is causing some people to delay their attempt to quit smoking, and some are smoking more cigarettes than before.

Washington Secretary of Health Mary Selecky says the expense of smoking is a good reason to quit during bad economic times. The state's free tobacco quit line offers free coaching and a supply of nicotine patches or gum.

Since the average cost of a pack of cigarettes is $5.38, Selecky says pack-a-day smokers could save nearly $2,000 by quitting.

Remedy for Hard Times: Cigarettes and Big Mac's?

Please note the sarcasm in the above headline.

[yes, hypnotherapists are permitted to have a sense of humor]

I found this story today from Reuters, wherein we discover that due to the increased stress of the financial crisis and struggling economy, smokers are lighting up more often. Even a few non-smokers are falling off the wagon, citing the economy and stress as reasons for resuming the habit. More on Mickey D's follows below...

Check it out:

Hard Times Prompt Americans to Increase Smoking

NEW YORK (Reuters Life!) - Stress caused by a slowing economy, shrinking retirement accounts and rising unemployment rates is driving some American smokers to increase the habit or delay quitting, according to a new survey.

A quarter of smokers who are worried about the economy said fretting over it has driven them to smoke more each day, while another 13 percent said they have delayed quitting.


What's that? Smoking has become cool again?

"The turbulent global stock markets have caused virtually every American a certain level of stress. Those who also struggle with an addiction to tobacco products are at an increased disadvantage as they contemplate quitting, or feel the urge to smoke more cigarettes," Cheryl Healton, the president and CEO of the American Legacy Foundation, said in a statement.

View the full story here.

If that weren't bad enough... on the very same day, I see this headline on the Drudge Report:

McDonald's Same-Store Sales Rise 8.2 Percent



NEW YORK (AP) -- Consumers worldwide who are watching their spending bought more burgers and chicken breakfast biscuits at McDonald's in October, leading to a big rise in sales at established locations for the fast-food leader.

Noooooooooooooooooooooooo!!

Now listen, I understand that times are tough. Unemployment is up, there are bills to pay, credit card debt is piling up, and you just don't know what the heck you're going to do about it.

One thing is certain, though - poisoning yourself with cigarettes and greasy food is not the answer. These things make you feel worse, not better... that's in the short-term and the long-term.

If you're going to cut corners, cut out the $4/day nicotine habit. Replace it with a decent, home-cooked meal. You'll not only feel better immediately, your body will reward you down the road:

You won't get sick as often.
When you do get sick, it won't be as bad or as long.
You'll have more energy.
You'll look better.

I could really go on, but the very simple point is that these crutches don't work. Cigarettes don't eliminate stress... they just distract you for a few minutes. The problems return as soon as you put it out (oh, I know... you clever ones will say "that means you just light up another one!"... but there's really no need to try to reason with you).

Your financial difficulties are going to be best addressed when you're healthy and in a good frame of mind. Try relaxing a bit - naturally. Eat a healthy meal. Find the best, most efficient method of quitting the smoking habit and do it right away. The money you save on cigarettes will add up quickly, no matter how much you spend to quit.

Oh, and go watch the documentary "Super-Size Me"... that'll cure your McDonald's addiction very quickly.

In This Economy, Can You Afford to Keep Smoking?

When simply filling up the gas tank and heating your home is busting people's bank accounts, to realize that you could be wasting up to $1200 a month of your hard-earned money on a habit that might one day kill you... yeah, that's rough.

Duke University (right on "Tobacco Road") did a study a few years back that found the real cost of cigarettes is about $40/pack.

Here's an excerpt from the article available at the link:

http://www.dukenews.duke.edu/2004/11/costofsmoking_1104.html

In their new book "The Price of Smoking," Duke University health economists calculated this sum by analyzing all the costs of smoking -- personally, to the smoker’s family and to society at large.

Their analysis found that the cost for a 24-year-old smoker over 60 years was $220,000 for a man and $106,000 for a woman, or a total of about $204 billion nationally over 60 years. The figures include expenses for cigarettes and excise taxes, for life and property insurance, medical care for the smoker and for the smoker’s family, and lost earnings due to disability.