How Cigarette Smoking Contributes to a Loss of Health and Wealth

This article is obviously from an American blog but the thought behind it applies very well to the NZ experience - if you are interested in stopping smoking email me at hypno.assist@gmail.com and we can discuss the possibilities and set up an appointment or if you want a Hypnotherapist from outside of Auckland I can refer you on to some great people.

Smoking is the #1 preventable cause of death in our society. According to the Surgeon General, approximately 1200 people die each day as a result of smoking. Medical costs due to smoking account for 6-9% of the total national healthcare budget.

Smoking Complicates Existing Conditions:
Dana C., 43, has been smoking for 24 years. Dana also has diabetes. This combination is equivalent to playing Russian roulette. Her risk of complications is significantly increased with the addition of cigarette smoking, and her life is in danger. The most important step she can take is to quit immediately.
John W., 56, has been smoking two and a half packs per day for the past 40 years. Recently, he had suffered a heart attack and was told by his doctor to quit right away. John continues to smoke, using the excuse that he enjoys it too much. It seems as though he looks forward to his demise... These examples illustrate the following facts:
Smokers have higher hospital admissions, take longer to recover from illness/injury, and have higher outpatient healthcare costsTen percent of smokers alive today are living with a smoking-related illness

Smoking in the Boardroom:
The estimated expense due to nicotine addiction is staggering, and often underestimated. These effects are felt across the board on many companies balance sheet.
It is estimated that companies lose an average of $3400 per year for every employee that smokes ($1600 for direct medical costs, and $1700 due to indirect costs).
Nearly twice as much production time is lost as compared with employees who do not smoke. Smokers have, on average, up to sixty percent more missed days from work per year than non smokers. Add to this the amount of extra breaks, which average a cost of $5,625 per smoker. Michael Seserman, Director of cancer prevention strategies for the American Cancer Society states that "smokers get an average of an extra three weeks vacation per year!"
Statistics, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), comparing smokers with non smokers:
Lost production time is 75% higher
Annual workers compensation costs are up to 12 times higher
Smokers are absent from work an extra 2.9 days
Healthcare costs, are on average, thirty percent higher
Every pack of cigarettes sold creates more than $7 in medical care expenses and lost productivity

You could be funding your IRA account:
If you smoke around a pack a day, that adds up to approximately $2000 per year. This is a reasonable figure to contribute annually towards your retirement. And besides, you will be in much better health to enjoy it when the time to retire rolls around.

The CDC recognizes that paying for tobacco use cessation treatments is the single most cost-effective health insurance benefit for adults that can be provided to employees.
While almost two thirds of Americans under the age of 65 are insured through an employer, only 24% of employers offer any coverage for tobacco-use treatment. Considering that tobacco cessation is more cost-effective than other common and covered disease prevention interventions, such as the treatment of hypertension and high blood cholesterol, the benefits of offering employees assistance and incentives to quit smoking will help cut expenses by reducing employee absence and turnover, increasing productivity, and saving on health and life insurance premiums.

In addition, every employed smoker that quits will, on average, have less years of disability, improved productivity, less sick days, and will live a longer life.

Annette Baril is a NYS Licensed Acupuncturist. If you would like to learn how your company can benefit from a customized smoke cessation solution, or if you are a smoker and would like to improve your health and financial well being, contact Nicocess at (516) 741-6944 / (888) 320 Quit for further information, or visit http://www.nicocess.com/.
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