Health discussions about U.S. smokers usually revolve around numbers -- how many adults smoke (20.6%) and how many die each year (smoking accounts for 1 in 5 deaths), according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Smoking & Tobacco Use.
In September, the American Lung Assn. released a study by Penn State University that came up with a different kind of number: the "true" cost of a pack of cigarettes, state by state. The data show the average national cost of a pack at $5.51, but once factors like the loss of workplace productivity are factored in that number bloats to $18.05. Roll over each state to see the derived cost effects at "Smoking Cessation: The Economic Benefits."
