It’s no secret that smoking is not only horrible for your health but also ridiculously expensive. It’s also true that indulging in the habit causes you to earn less money — about 20 percent less, says a study by researchers at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta.
It’s not that smokers are less productive. About 60 percent of the pay difference can be attributed to factors like having less education than nonsmokers. But another factor seems to be that people who smoke face a bias in the workplace. A press release about the study, conducted by economists Melinda Pitts and Julie Hotchkiss, explains:
Perhaps their most surprising finding is that the wage gap doesn’t vary by smoking intensity. “A person who smokes one cigarette per day faces a similar penalty as a person who smokes a pack a day,” explained Pitts, who directs the Atlanta Fed’s Center for Human Capital Studies. “Since smoking more cigarettes is known to result in greater health problems and work absences, the fact that the penalty doesn’t increase as smoking intensity increases suggests that the wage penalty is more related to a bias in the workplace against smokers than it is related to lower productivity among smokers,” she continued.
It’s a nasty habit that’s not getting cheaper. More states are increasing their tax on cigarettes. The Awl, in an annual survey, found a price of $14.50 for a pack of Marlboro Reds in New York City. The cheapest was just under $5 in Kentucky.
Need even more incentive to be smoke-free? The Federal Reserve study also says that people who quit smoking make more than smokers and also more than workers who never lit up at all.
Here are our cheap tips for snuffing out your addiction:
1. Start with a plan
A quit plan should cover everything from the reasons you’re quitting to the triggers that make you want to smoke. This list can be used as inspiration and reminder. The SmokeFree website offers many tips for compiling this list, including choosing a quit date and informing your friends and family about your plan.
2. Talk to an ex-smoker
Learning how someone else kicked the habit can help immensely. They can assist with not only advice but also support. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a whole campaign based on this idea. The real stories include people who have suffered heart attacks from smoking and also teens impacted by secondhand smoke.
3. Research
Your doctor’s office more than likely has brochures filled with information. If you don’t feel like trekking there, SmokeFree has multiple booklets available. Topics range from the particular issues faced by smokers who are older than 50 to pregnant women who want to quit.