Smokers Struggle to Pay Bills

With the economic downturn continuing to wear on and the largest federal tax increase on cigarettes taking effect in April, smokers are torn between paying bills and buying cigarettes, MSNBC reported June 30.

Leonard Perry, 55, who smokes a pack a day and has been laid off for two years, is trying to find ways to afford cigarettes. “We had a light bill that needed to be paid, so we paid a third of it so we could have cigarette money,” he said.

Others, such as Lindsey Jaffe, 25, have decided to quit smoking. “When you are looking at a monthly budget that includes everything from car payments to rent, there is nothing left to cut, and then you see $300 per month on cigarettes, there really aren’t any options left,” said Jaffe, who used to smoke a pack a day.

While national and state-level quitlines experienced a huge increase in calls right after the federal tax increase took effect on April 1, some state health departments — such as Iowa’s — did not have the funds to assist all the callers. Unprepared for the 300-percent increase in calls to the Iowa quitline, the state was unable to provide the promised month’s worth of free nicotine patches to all who called.

Experts say one of the strongest motivators for getting smokers to quit is the increase in the cost of cigarettes; however, a survey of more than 2,000 adults conducted by the American Legacy Foundation last November found that economic stress was causing one in four smokers to consume even more cigarettes.

Experts are calling for the government to increase funding for smoking-cessation programs.

“As Congress takes up healthcare reform and as states look to save money, we know that smoking cessation really gets you more bang for your buck — the more we’re going to save in healthcare costs and Medicare costs down the line,” said Erika Sward, the American Lung Association’s director of national advocacy.