Is Your Income Going Up in Smoke?

It costs a lot to be a smoker. In fact, it costs the average smoker is $120,432 over a lifetime. It also has an overall economic impact on our country. With the economic and societal costs of smoking totaling more than $300 billion a year and rising, the personal-finance website WalletHub recently  released its report on The Real Cost of Smoking by State.  More stats from the company:

• Each smoker will incur an average of $228,607 in income loss over a lifetime. Smokers in Maryland will lose the highest amount, $310,353, which is 1.9 times higher than in Mississippi, where smokers will lose the lowest amount at $165,354.
• Each smoker will incur an average of $172,055 in smoking-related health-care costs over a lifetime. Smokers in Massachusetts will pay the highest amount, $285,966, which is 2.5 times higher than in Arkansas, where smokers will pay the lowest amount at $116,115.
• Colorado ranks as the 18th most expensive state in which to smoke.