With the pressures of family gatherings and the financial burdens of gift giving, the holidays can be a stressful time. The Oneida County Health Department reports people rely on smoking as a stress reliever during the Christmas season, but despite the temporary stress relief it may give, spokesperson Corie Zelazoski says it only adds to financial burdens. She says for someone who smokes a pack a day, they’d save $56 a week, $243 a month or $2,922 a year if they quit. She says that adds up to almost $30,000 after 10 years of quitting.
“…as time has gone on, the cost of cigarettes has gone up dramatically and for some that’s incentive to quit, but for others it’s harder because of the nicotine. So we wanted to break it down of how much you can save because some people don’t look at it that way.”
Zelazoski says people’s health improves after an hour of quitting.
She says anyone who is looking to quit smoking should call the Wisconsin Quit Line, call the Oneida County Health Department or visit OneidaCountyPublicHealth.org for more information.
