I ask my clients when they come in for quit smoking what it costs them. This is not just from the health view but how much money it costs to smoke. Most people cannot tell me. Why is this? I think it is for two reasons;
1. The cost to smoke is not seen in a lump sum. Payment is packet by packet and so the total cost is not seen.
2. People don’t want to acknowledge the cost.
The actual cost of cigarettes makes more impact in first world countries as taxation has made smoking expensive. This still does not prevent people from smoking. In fact if someone comes to me and their sole motivation to quit smoking is cost I turn them away. People will always find the money to smoke and drink.
When confronted by how much smoking costs them my clients are often horrified, especially when they see what it costs them over a year. That cost is frequently enough for them to have a family holiday or take a big chunk out of the mortgage. However the cost of smoking is well worth looking at when you decide to quit smoking as it can be a great motivator.
