The winter holiday season can be a joyous and wonderful time for many, but the season is not without its challenges especially for people who are currently working on behavioral changes.
For people looking to reduce or quit their commercial tobacco use, the holiday season can create numerous challenges in sticking to a quit plan. The change of location, the change in routines, and potential for increased triggers to smoke can all result in unexpected stressors. These challenges can be intimidating and may increase the desire to smoke. While the holidays don’t automatically result in slips or relapses of tobacco use, they very much can lead as an excuse to deviate from one’s quit plan.
However, there are ways to prepare yourself to be successful in sticking to your quit plan this holiday season without it feeling like a chore or an additional worry.
Here are three tips to stick to your quit plan during the holidays:
1. Talk to your people about your quit
The holiday season often means increased time with friends and loved ones. While this can bring an immense amount of joy, those who don’t use tobacco or who aren’t currently reducing their use might not understand the support you need or why you’re working to quit. Talk to your loved ones about your decision, and your reasons for making it. Let them know what support you might need and set boundaries for the season.
2. Be prepared for stressors
Stress and the holidays pretty much go hand in hand. Prepare for these by having necessary supplies on hand. Keep supplies like quit medications, fidget toys, snacks, or other replacement items on hand whether you’re at home or traveling for easy access. Find a place where you can take a few minutes to step away from groups to ground yourself in tough moments.
Having various resources and support options are incredibly important components of developing a quit plan. Whether your support comes from a TTS, your doctor, a coworker, or a friend it’s always a good idea to have someone to speak with about your challenges and successes. But the holiday season may impact your access and availability to them. The Michigan Quitlink provides online and phone-based support available to you 24/7.
How are you managing your quit goals during the holiday season?
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Looking for more information or resources for commercial tobacco reduction?
Slips differ from relapses in that they do not result in a return to regular use of tobacco after occurring.
When slips happen, it’s easy to feel discouraged or unsure of your path forward. But by their very definition, slips do not mean the end of your quit. Here are four tips to get back on track after you’ve had a slip:
Tip # 1: Take a pause
The most important thing to do when a slip occurs is to avoid prolonged regular use of tobacco (relapse). Pause and remove yourself from the environment where the slip happened by going to a new room, outside, or somewhere else entirely. Putting yourself in a new space can help you focus on next steps rather than continuing to smoke. Avoid being in the same space as tobacco in order to remove easy access to continued use.
Tip #2: Review your plan
Go back over your plan: what has been helpful? What hasn’t worked? What might you still need support in moving forward? Look for new options to help support your quit moving forward. Review the reasons you decided to quit. Make a list of all the benefits you have experienced so far and the ones you are looking forward to.
Tip #3: Don’t beat yourself up
When plans don’t go as you originally hoped it can be challenging or even leave you feeling like a failure. While these can be normal feelings to experience, continuing to tear yourself down over a slip can result in heightened negative emotions that are more likely to make you want to continue to smoke. You can acknowledge your slip and also realize that it doesn’t define your ability to continue with a successful quit. Remember: the slip doesn’t define your quit, but how you react to it can.
Tip #4: Get back on track right away
Avoid giving yourself permission or an excuse to continue your tobacco use. While you may think that smoking the rest of the day before renewing your quit is no big deal, falling back into old patterns and habits will lead to more challenges when getting back on track. Remind yourself that slips happen, but they don’t have to become continued or extended tobacco use.
Deciding where to start with reducing commercial tobacco use can be a challenge. But with all the available resources both in person and online it doesn’t always have to be. Here are three online resources that we recommend when thinking about quitting.
With various resources including a quit plan builder, tips and tools for tobacco reduction, and access to a live chat, Smokefree.gov is a fantastic resource for anyone who has thought about quitting their commercial tobacco use. The website also offers resources specifically for veterans, women, teens, people over 60, and a Spanish version of the website.
With online and phone-based resources, the Michigan Quitlink is a great option for those looking for support. The website hosts interactive tools including a commitment quiz, pro and con list maker, and smoking calculator for those looking to build motivation to quit. The website also has proven quit strategies and enrollment pages for an easy all-in-one resource. More information can be found on their website or by calling 1-800-QUIT-NOW.
With a good amount of video content focused on quit resources and tobacco reduction education, Unified’s Youtube page is a great option for individuals looking to build their knowledge of tobacco reduction. With topics ranging from Nicotine Replacement Therapies to Quit Kit Building to tobacco holidays like World No Tobacco Day, there is something for everyone to find good use of.
Online resources can be a great option for building motivation to quit, finding support, and discovering new strategies for coping with urges to smoke. What resources have you found that have been helpful?
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Looking for more information or resources for commercial tobacco reduction?
“What are your thoughts on quitting at this time?” is a question I’ve asked perhaps more than any other since beginning work within the tobacco reduction field.
Tobacco Treatment Specialists (TTS) are trained to screen people who use(d) some form of commercial tobacco to determine their readiness to quit and interest in working within a tobacco reduction program. Within the clinics and other organizations that house these programs throughout MIchigan, additional staff are also trained to screen and refer individuals interested in reducing their tobacco use to the TTS. If someone is not ready, the conversation is paused and put off until a follow up screening can occur. If the individual indicates readiness to quit, or interest in working with a tobacco treatment professional, they are referred on to develop their own quit plan.
In a perfect world, readiness to quit would always strengthen and lead to a successful cessation of commercial tobacco use. Individuals would overcome cravings and urges to smoke without challenges to their motivation, and they would never have to deal with the question of “am I truly ready to quit?” In reality, tobacco cessation is often a non-linear process where motivation to quit increases and decreases depending on the day, hour, and even minute. It’s not uncommon for people to be ready to quit one day, and never want to even think about quitting the next. In a society that still struggles with stigmatizing those who use commercial tobacco products, not being ready to quit can feel embarrassing. This feeling of embarrassment can often lead to people feeling pressured to quit, whether they truly are or not.
Here are three reasons why it’s OK to not be ready to quit your commercial tobacco use.
Neither is an easy feat and can be intimidating for anyone looking to reduce, whether they have previous quit experience or not. Determining where to start and how to counter cravings or urges to smoke can alter confidence in one’s ability to quit. Though both can be dealt with successfully in the short and long term, it’s okay if the challenge seems daunting at the time being.
2. Only You Can Determine How to Quit
The most important part in developing any quit plan is to know that only YOU can determine how you are going to quit. No outside person whether it be a TTS, a doctor, a case worker, or a loved one can tell you the best way for you to quit. Whether they have successful quitting experience or not, we know that there is no guaranteed way for all people to quit, and that anyone who uses commercial tobacco will have to plan ways to cope with their specific challenges.
3. It’s NEVER Too Late to Quit
Whether you’ve quit before or not. Whether you’re 22 or 72. Whether you smoke half of a pack per day or two packs per day. Whether your entire family smokes, or no one in your family smokes. The best thing about trying to quit commercial tobacco products is that each new day is always another opportunity to quit or to think about quitting.
Many question what the point of quitting late in life is, especially if they feel they won’t enjoy the long term benefits of quitting as long as someone who quit in their 20s/30s/40s/50s would. But there are short term benefits that one can experience almost immediately and throughout the first year of being quit including:
Even if one is not currently ready to quit, you might still know that you would like to quit someday. But how does one build readiness to quit? There are various ways to build both motivation and readiness to quit including:
Explore new resources – look into options previously unused. Quit medications, Quitlines, online resources, support groups, or tobacco treatment programs can all be a great place to start.
Consider the benefits that you will experience – both short and long term, write down all the positives you might experience when quitting.
AND the benefits that are most important to you – highlight the benefits that are most important to you. These will build motivation to and interest in quitting more than a general list will.
Find support or program options – whether in support groups, healthcare settings, or amongst friends and other loved ones, think about where you will find support and who you can count on.
Review what worked for you, what might work for you, and what you think won’t work for you when quitting – if you have experience in quitting, you might have concerns about your ability to quit successfully long term. But previous quitting experience can be helpful in determining what has previously worked and what hasn’t, which sets you up at a great starting place. Make a list of what’s been helpful previously in craving management, and other options that may be helpful to explore this time.
Try a practice quit day – pick one day, or even a half of a day, and try to go without tobacco. This will give you a better idea of what you might need to be prepared for and allow confidence to build in small successes.
Quitting commercial tobacco use can be intimidating, and though many people who use tobacco products want to quit, many are unsure of whether they’re ready or not. It’s not uncommon for people to feel pressured into quitting, whether it be by family, friends, health care providers, or even society at large. But it is okay to not be ready to quit commercial tobacco, it’s even okay to be unsure of whether you’ll ever be ready to quit. Just know that when you are ready, or if you think you might be ready, there are resources and support options available to help make it happen.
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Think you might be ready to quit or just want to know more about options? Contact our team for more information:
As another holiday season approaches, it’s important to take time to consider how this time of year can impact your tobacco reduction goals. For many, this time of year can be incredibly motivating when it comes to commercial tobacco reduction due to weather changes, time spent with friends and family, and the feeling of a “fresh start” as we ring in a new year. However, like any holiday, a variety of emotions are in play including joy, love, stress, sadness, loneliness, nostalgia, and more. These feelings can often be exacerbated by established traditions and the media putting additional pressure on us to have the “perfect holiday”.
We know when it comes to smoking cessation that emotions can play a major role in both successes and challenges faced. We also know that having a plan and preparing for challenges when reducing can help people feel more ready to stick to their reduction goals. But what are some ways you can prepare for the holiday when reducing your use?
Tips for Tobacco Reduction and the Holidays
Get enough rest. Exhaustion will only leave you feeling more stressed which may increase the urge to smoke. Do your best to make sure you are getting enough sleep at night or schedule out times to have a nap during the day when needed. This will leave you feeling refreshed and ready to participate in events and gatherings.
Set boundaries – it’s okay to say no! To extra visits, events, financial commitments, or other stressors. The holidays can be a nostalgic time for many of us, and that can often lead to pressure to make sure things are a certain way or are exactly the same as previous years. But sometimes this can lead to over-exertion and increased stress. Sit down with your loved ones to discuss plans and responsibilities and suggest changes that might need to be made ahead of time. Making sure everyone is on the same page can go a long way in preventing unexpected stressors.
Have a replacement method on hand. Cravings are tough, and sometimes can occur at unexpected moments. Plan to have something on hand like a snack, a fidget toy or stress ball, a puzzle book, gum, or anything else that has been helpful in coping with cravings. Make sure you always know where it is so you can easily access it when you are dealing with a challenging moment.
Stay hydrated. Staying hydrated can help improve your mood and leave you feeling more energetic, especially when activities and events are keeping you busy. Additionally, a glass of water can be a great way to cope with cravings without picking up tobacco.
Don’t beat yourself up IF things don’t go your way. Like any other major event in our lives, the holidays are prone to not having everything go exactly as planned. This is also true for plans surrounding reduction and cessation efforts. While it is important to plan to help yourself succeed in your goals, it’s equally important to extend yourself grace IF things don’t turn out the way you planned. Remember: small slip ups do not have to impact or prevent your long term success. Give yourself the chance to get back on track with your goals rather talking yourself into abandoning them.
Take time to enjoy the season. Regardless of your plans or traditions, the end of the year can be a great time to reconnect with loved ones and find joy. Both of which can support your goals with reduction. Take time to enjoy everything you love about this time of year OR find opportunities to make new happy memories to look back on next year. Remember, regardless of where you are with your reduction plans: you deserve the chance to relax and enjoy time with the ones you love.
Tobacco Reduction resources and supports
When developing a quit or reduction plan, we often discuss the importance of having support whether it comes from a TTS, a friend, a coworker, or anyone else in your life. But the holidays can impact availability and your access to them. Because of this, it’s good to have additional resources prepared to fall back on when you’re facing a challenging moment. Such resources might include:
A Quitline service: the Michigan Quitlink has available services for support including online and phone-based support and available 24/7.
Check out the Quit Plan Builder at Smokefree.gov for an easy option to develop or alter your quit or reduction plan.
Phone applications can offer assistance in tracking your days quit and motivation reminders, as well as tips and other resources when facing tough moments.
Have a designated friend/family member that you can reach out to when you’re in need of support. Having this set up in advance allows you to know who is going to be available for a check in and when.
The holidays can be a joyful yet tumultuous time for many. New or additional challenges or stressors DO NOT have to prevent you in reaching your goals. Take time now to make a plan so you can feel prepared and in control of your reduction efforts this season.
For more tips you can check out our video for navigating reducing your tobacco use during the holidays and articles like this one.
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Have any questions or are looking to reduce commercial tobacco use? Reach out to our tobacco reduction team:
Clients involved in our tobacco use reduction program generally have the same goal– becoming tobacco free. When you quit tobacco, your body and brain experience physical changes as they adapt to the lack of nicotine and tobacco. Quitting tobacco also involves starting new habits and changing your overall lifestyle. The process of quitting tobacco can feel overwhelming and frustrating, especially when you haven’t achieved your end goal yet.
However, it is important to give yourself credit for everything you’ve achieved so far. Even if you are still in the process of becoming tobacco free, your health has likely benefited from the changes in your routine and mindset. Recognizing and giving yourself credit for these accomplishments is important and can help you stay motivated in your journey. So what changes can you expect to see when quitting tobacco?
You’re developing healthier coping skills
Smoking can become an automatic response to stress, anger, and other unpleasant emotions. Between tobacco’s addictive nature and the way it easily becomes a habit, it is not uncommon for smoking to become an unhealthy coping mechanism. When quitting tobacco, it is important to identify situations where you are using tobacco as a coping skill. The next step is replacing the habit of smoking with other healthier behaviors. Discovering and implementing healthy coping skills is a huge victory when quitting tobacco. Not only can these skills help with reducing smoking, but they also help with stress management and living an overall healthier lifestyle.
You can go longer without smoking your first cigarette
One of the ways nicotine dependence is measured is by how soon after waking up you have your first cigarette. Since you are not using tobacco while you sleep, your body tends to go into withdrawal overnight. This is the reason people tend to crave a cigarette as soon as they wake up. Being able to go longer without your first cigarette of the day is a sign that you are becoming less dependent on nicotine. Even being able to go a few minutes longer without reaching for a cigarette is worth celebrating.
You know when to walk away from triggering situations
Learning to accept and cope with difficult situations is important, but there is also value in knowing when to walk away. Quitting tobacco might involve saying no to or leaving situations where you’ll have to urge to smoke. For example, the smell or sight of a cigarette is a common trigger. Learning to remove yourself from these situations can not only help you with tobacco cessation, but it can also teach you how to better manage situations that could damage your general health. The way you manage your triggers may also change over time. You might initially need to walk away from a situation, but with time you might learn how to better manage said trigger.
You can prevent slips from becoming relapses
When discussing quitting tobacco, a ‘slip’ refers to a singular incident of smoking whereas a ‘relapse’ refers to going back to your previous habits . Slips are very common, but they don’t always have to lead to relapsing. Instead of beating yourself up over a slip, focus on what you can learn from it. Reflecting on your slip– where were you, what were you doing, and how were you feeling– can help you better understand your triggers along with what is and isn’t a helpful strategy to manage them.
You’re able to accept yourself and your life as they are
Accepting what you can and can not control is key to making lifestyle changes, such as quitting tobacco. Triggering situations may be out of your control, and life may not go as expected even when we feel in control. Radical acceptance is a term that refers to accepting yourself and your life as they are rather than dwelling on what could be different. Learning acceptance takes practice, but feeling unable to accept reality can increase the pain in distressing situations. On the other hand, radical acceptance also involves giving yourself credit and accepting positive situations. It may be difficult to accept that you haven’t been able to completely quit tobacco, but there is also value in accepting the progress that you’ve made.
Becoming tobacco free can feel overwhelming as the process takes time and patience. Breaking it down into smaller steps and learning to recognize the small victories can make cessation feel more achievable. Realizing what you’re gaining from quitting smoking can help you stay motivated. If you’re feeling stuck in your cessation efforts, UNIFIED’s tobacco reduction program can help you create a plan to keep moving forward.
If you would like to learn more about tobacco reduction and cessation, please contact our team:
What do you think is the most littered item: plastic bottles? Possibly straws?
The number one most littered item is actually cigarette butts. Contrary to popular belief, cigarette filters are not biodegradable, and as the cellulose acetate they contain breaks down, tiny pieces of plastic are spread into the environment. Microplastics have been found in every stage of the food chain, our drinking water, even the air we breathe. In fact, it is estimated that, on average, we could be eating as much as a credit card worth of plastic each week.1 How many cigarette butts do you think you’ve eaten?
Cigarette butt pollution is a very visible indicator of the damage the tobacco industry has on the environment, and it is only a small part of a large, global problem. The World Health Organization released a report this year on the environmental damage the tobacco industry causes through deforestation, depletion of resources, chemical waste, and carbon emissions. This report, along with other recent publications, illustrate the ways the tobacco industry poses a serious threat to the health of our planet through the manner in which commercial tobacco products are grown, manufactured, and discarded.2
A Growing Problem
The topic of climate change seems to get hotter every year, much like the average temperature of the planet. As fossil fuel use adds excessive greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and deforestation removes the natural processes that offset these gases, the ability of the earth to release heat into space diminishes.3 The tobacco industry is a major contributor to deforestation. Forests are clear cut to create farmable land for commercial tobacco production. Combined with the trees used in the curing process, a total of approximately 200,000 hectares of forest is lost each year. For context, that would be a forest the size of Yellowstone National Park leveled in less than 5 years. It is estimated that 5% of total annual deforestation is related to the tobacco industry.
The soil in which tobacco is grown can become unsuitable for other crops, which compounds issues of food scarcity in the lower income countries where these farms are mainly located. Nicotine exposure is difficult for farmers to avoid, and studies show that people working on these farms are exposed to the equivalent of 50 cigarettes per day. Symptoms of “green leaf sickness”, a common name for nicotine poisoning, are prevalent. Tragically, many of those who work on these farms are children.4
As mentioned above, the curing process requires significant deforestation. These trees are burned, releasing chemicals into the atmosphere. Once cured, the tobacco is transported to manufacturing facilities then on to distribution centers and consumers, generating significant carbon emissions. Chemical waste made during the manufacturing process often makes its way into water systems where it disrupts ecosystems. E-cigarette manufacturing is more difficult to describe in terms of environmental impact due to limited data, but it is speculated that these products require even more environmentally taxing processes.5
Only You Can Prevent Dumpster Fires
E-cigarette components present a new, unique concern for the planet compared to the aforementioned cigarette butt. Plastic, metals, nicotine, filler compounds, flavor additives, batteries, and the other materials that comprise the 460+ brands6 of e-cigarettes are improperly discarded with increasing frequency. Littered e-cigarettes are a complicated problem, but disposing of these devices responsibly is also difficult. Liquid nicotine is legally classified as a hazardous waste, and many types of e-cigarette must be disposed of at specialized facilities. Due to lack of information, consumers often throw e-cigarettes directly into their regular trash or recycling. There are increasing incidents of garbage truck and dumpster fires related to the lithium ion batteries found in e-cigarettes.
Smokey the Bear / GIPHY
Fraction of environmental impact of tobacco industry by stage. 7
The above graph published in Environmental Science & Technology shows that tobacco farming (medium blue), curing (yellow), and manufacturing (light blue) have the most impact on the environment. Tobacco companies attempt to shift the emphasis on the consumer when it comes to environmental responsibility. They use greenwashing strategies to improve their appearance and send an “only you” message concerning the prevention of tobacco waste.
Greenwashing refers to an entity, namely a company, cultivating an image of eco-friendliness to distract from their harmful environmental impact. Tobacco companies publicly donate to events such as clean ups and run campaigns on the importance of proper cigarette butt disposal. Additional emphasis is placed on “green” business operations, such as the use of electric vehicles or reduction in office waste. As the graph clearly shows, however, the majority of the environmental impact occurs far from corporate offices and before the consumer is sold the product. In the big picture, clean ups and donations are performative marketing.
Natural American Spirit greenwashing ad that ran in magazines such as Vogue and Rolling Stone promoting “cleanup challenges” for Earth Day. Photo: Trinkets and Trash
The More You Know
The World Health Organization, among others, is working to bring to light the damage that the tobacco industry is causing and the strategies these companies use to shift responsibility onto the consumer. Governments worldwide are beginning to put more pressure on these companies to take responsibility and to move toward more sustainable practices. In the meantime, consumers can educate themselves on how to dispose of their waste. The FDA provides information on how to properly dispose of e-cigarettes. There is a county directory of Michigan recycling and hazardous waste contacts that can also be a good place to start.
The relationship between the environment and the tobacco industry is a complex, evolving subject. For further reading, check out the 2022 WHO publication Tobacco: Poisoning Our Planet. The Truth Initiative is also a reliable resource for information on topics like e-cigarette waste. Tobacco Tactics has well researched articles on subjects such as greenwashing. Finally, the infographic below provides a visual summary of the facts discussed above and other interesting, eye-opening pieces of data.
Cigarette Smoking: An Assessment of Tobacco’s Global Environmental Footprint Across Its Entire Supply Chain, Maria Zafeiridou, Nicholas S Hopkinson, and Nikolaos Voulvoulis, Environmental Science & Technology 2018 52 (15), 8087-8094, DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.8b01533
In my personal and professional life, it is not uncommon to hear about tension between those trying to quit tobacco and others in their lives. Friends and family can serve as a great support system, but they can also unintentionally become a barrier to quitting. It can be difficult to navigate your reduction journey when those around you continue to smoke or be unsupportive. Common advice, such as ‘get new friends’ or ‘just avoid smokers’, tends falls flat for folks who have deeper relationships with people who are unable to support them on their quit journey. So how do you balance quitting tobacco while maintaining relationships with others?
Having and learning to set boundaries allows you to keep a healthy connection with friends and family. The term ‘boundary’ has become a buzz word recently, but what exactly does it mean? A boundary refers to that imaginary line between you and others; it separates your physical and emotional needs, feelings, and responsibilities from others. Boundaries exist in every aspect of our lives, whether it is needing privacy from roommates, being uncomfortable with certain sexual activities, or refusing to do certain tasks at work. Everyone has boundaries, but it takes time and practice to learn what yours are and how to express them.
Boundaries are a powerful tool for those attempting to reduce or quit tobacco. Your boundaries might look like refusing to buy cigarettes for others, being able to walk away from people who are smoking, or any other limits you have to maintain your quit. Setting boundaries is easier said than done, but with practice they are a great way to protect your needs and your relationships with others. So how do you actually use boundaries in real life?
Setting boundaries allows you to express what you need from others. However, you can not control others’ behavior. When setting boundaries, it is important to focus on what you can control: yourself and your actions. Boundaries are a reflection of your own needs, values, and comfort. Though it can be difficult at first, it is up to you to learn what your boundaries are, how to communicate them to others, and how you can respond to them being crossed.
2. Set boundaries before they are crossed
Once you’ve realized the boundaries you need to set, it can be helpful to communicate them to others before they get crossed. Communicating what you need before you’re in a tough situation can allow you to express yourself with a clear mind and avoid resentment in your relationships. For example, you might consider letting friends know you’re working towards quitting and are currently uncomfortable being around others while they smoke. Communicating ahead of time can help you avoid triggering situations, whether that means your friends going outside to smoke or them knowing why you may need to walk away when they smoke.
3. Don’t assume others’ intentions
When others are unable to respect our boundaries, it is natural to feel frustrated and hurt. Boundaries exist to keep us emotionally and physically safe, and it is important to build relationships where you can respect each other’s boundaries. However, we also don’t know others’ intentions when they can’t respect our boundaries. Someone who continues to offer you cigarettes, doubt your ability to quit, or be unsupportive in other ways may be unaware of how hurtful their actions are. Their behavior is more likely a reflection of their beliefs and values; they may view smoking as a way to connect or might not understand how important quitting is. This does not excuse their actions, but being able to take a step back and avoid assumptions can help us avoid resentment.
4.Boundaries help save relationships
At first, having boundaries can seem like a wall between you and others. Setting boundaries can be uncomfortable and may change the dynamics of your personal relationships. However, everyone has personal boundaries and expressing them can actually strengthen relationships. Having relationships where you both can comfortably express what you need from one another can help create safety and respect between each other.
5. Learn how to respond when boundaries are crossed
After setting a boundary, it is your responsibility to stand firm in what you need and learn how to set consequences when others can’t respect that. Boundaries are an opportunity to teach others how to treat you. If someone continues to cross your boundaries, it is time to determine how to distance yourself from harmful situations. This might look like walking away from or refusing to be in situations where your boundaries to be crossed, but it can also be a chance to create spaces where your boundaries will be honored.
If you would like to learn more about tobacco reduction and cessation, please contact our team:
Melissa Small – Ypsilanti/Jackson Tobacco Treatment Specialist
(734) 329-9223
Monica Allen – Detroit Tobacco Treatment Specialist
At least two things about cigarettes are popularly understood: 1. They are extremely harmful to your health. 2. They are expensive. But “expensive” is a subjective term. What is the personal cost of smoking? And what is the more broad economic impact of the tobacco industry? While there is no simple answer to these questions, there is much to explore regarding the financial, medical, and environmental burden of commercial tobacco use.
The average cost for a pack of cigarettes in Michigan today is $8.27.1 To put that into perspective, the average Michigan smoker of median income would spend roughly 7% of their earnings on cigarettes.2 3 There are other direct and indirect costs of tobacco use. Smokers can pay as much as 50% higher on health insurance premiums4, and copays for medications and frequent office or hospital visits add up quickly. There is also opportunity cost, or the loss of potential gains from using funds for tobacco and tobacco related illness rather than investing into other aspects of life. One study estimated the total lifetime cost of smoking for an individual in Michigan was $2,193,645.5 Smoking, and the use of other tobacco products, is a heavy expense for the individual, but it also places a heavy financial burden on society.
The CDC reported that the U.S. spends $226.7 billion in one year on public and private health care costs related to tobacco use. Over half of this figure is tax funded. For perspective, that averages to each household paying $1,223 in taxes yearly just for tobacco related health care expenses. The CDC report states there is an additional $6.99 billion in health care costs related to secondhand smoke.6 Tobacco related illnesses also demand medical resources, and delays in care can increase the severity – and cost of treating – other patients.
Unsplash/Brian Yurasits
Exploring the Environmental Cost
The treatment of tobacco related illness requires significant energy use and creates a massive amount of medical waste. This, along with the environmental damage related to production and consumption of tobacco products, contributes to a growing economic and existential problem. The White House recently released a report which claimed that by 2100 extreme weather events related to climate change could cost the country $2 trillion each year.7 It is difficult to estimate the economic impact of something as nebulous as the tobacco industry, which requires significant deforestation, water consumption, and carbon emissions to operate. One study found that the cost to simply address pollution caused by cigarette butts in the 30 largest U.S. cities was $264.5 million each year.8 Concern has been raised about even greater danger posed by electronic cigarette pollution.
The cost to address these problems must be borne by someone, and the tobacco industry is spending a fortune to deflect that responsibility onto the individual, with society ultimately left to pick up the bill. It’s a tough battle for anti-tobacco activists. In 2020, tobacco companies spent $28.2 million lobbying Congress alone.6 Accountability is a hard sell when tobacco companies are able to legally pay politicians, spend $23 million a day on marketing, and sponsor their own “research”. Perhaps, though, the fact that tobacco companies need to spend so much to survive is a positive sign. As our society continues to gain better understanding of personal wellbeing, the broad implications of public health, and the danger of climate change, the facts will be too loud to hush. The simple conclusion is that the true cost of tobacco will always be too much.
Further reading:
This Smokefree.gov calculator shows how much money is saved over time after quitting cigarettes.
ASH (Action on Smoke and Health) provides a wealth of information on the effects of the tobacco industry and what legal/policy measures can be taken to eventually end tobacco related deaths.
Tobacco Free Funds provides information on funds that invest in tobacco manufacturers or entertainment agencies that promote tobacco use.
If you would like to learn more about tobacco reduction and cessation, please contact our team:
Melissa Small – Ypsilanti/Jackson Tobacco Treatment Specialist
(734) 329-9223
Monica Allen – Detroit Tobacco Treatment Specialist
In April of 2022, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration proposed a ban on the manufacturing and sale of menthol cigarettes and cigars. The FDA hopes this ban will “help prevent children from becoming the next generation of smokers and help adult smokers quit” along with reducing health disparities. Previous legislation has banned flavors, with the exclusion of tobacco and menthol, in cigarettes and e-cigarettes. It is important to note that the ban would target those making and selling menthol cigarettes, but it would not punish those who possess menthol cigarettes. This distinction allows Big Tobacco to experience consequences without penalizing those struggling with addiction.
Menthol may be one of the most popular flavors for tobacco products, but people may not be familiar with what it actually is. A chemical naturally found in peppermint, menthol can be described as minty and cooling. This flavoring may make smoking feel less harsh and seem healthier, but menthol can actually make it easier to start smoking and make it more difficult to quit. Studies have found that those who smoke menthol are less likely to quit when compared to those who smoke non-menthols.
Not only are menthol cigarettes designed to be more addictive, but they have also historically targeted African Americans through their marketing tactics. Mentholated brands, such as KOOL and Newport, have been advertised in Black publications and other media. Big tobacco also has a history of sponsoring Black events and organizations. For example, Philip Morris (owner of Marlboro, Virginia Slims, and other brands) has sponsored the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the Urban League, and the United Negro College Fund. There are countless examples of Big Tobacco targeting African Americans and other minorities. Bans and regulations surrounding tobacco may prevent future generations from being impacted by the tobacco industry’s marketing, but decades of targeting have already damaged many individuals and communities.
By banning menthol, the FDA can work towards making tobacco less appealing and accessible. Not only could it prevent younger generations from using tobacco, but banning menthol could also act as an incentive to help those who currently smoke quit. As tobacco becomes more regulated and restricted, the tobacco industry loses its ability to influence more people to smoke. For more information on the proposed ban, you can check out the FDA’s official Press Announcement.
If you’re interested in learning more about tobacco reduction and cessation, please contact our team:
Monica Allen, Detroit Tobacco Treatment Specialist
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