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Those Smoking Fall to Lowest Level Ever

November 28, 2014 By Kendra Smith Leave a Comment

The proportion of U.S. adults that smoke cigarettes has hit an all-time low. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced the findings of their recent survey of adults attempting to gauge the number of active smoking adults in the Unites States. The study is to assist with the Healthy People 2020 initiative.

They were happy to announce that just 17.8 percent of adults smoke cigarettes and of those who do smoke, fewer are smoking on a daily basis and some are even smoking fewer cigarettes. Smoking not only causes a lot of health problems, it also costs money in a lot of other ways beyond the price of the cigarettes that can drain finances.

This is the lowest percentage reported since 1965. But even with numbers at a record low, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services still has a long climb ahead of them to reach the initiative’s goals, which has adult smokers at no more than twelve percent overall.

The initiative and new findings are important because smoking is the leading cause in premature death in the United States. It is reported that smoking and diseases caused by smoking and second hand smoke kill approximately 480,000 Americans per year.

The survey is an in-person survey of a representative sample of American adults. They considered an adult a current smoker if they had smoked at least 100 cigarettes in their life and at the time they were interviewed, stated they smoke everyday or some days.

The data reports the percentage of daily smokers dropped from 80.8 percent of smokers in 2005 to 76.9 percent in 2013. However, that still means that 32.4 million American adults smoke on a daily basis. And of those daily smokers, the data suggests they are smoking less, with the average cigarettes smoked in a day dropping from 16.7 in 2007 to 14.2 in 2013.

The study also produced some surprising profiling of the typical American smoker. Most were mixed ethnic peoples or claimed to be mixed ethnic, more likely to have a GED with no postgraduate degree, and more likely to be living below the poverty level. They also reported that gay, lesbian and bi-sexual adults smoked more, at 26.6 percent, compared to straight adults at 17.6 percent.

Study results did not include cigar smoking or other types of combustible tobacco products.

All the results and the study were published in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality weekly report on Wednesday, November 26, 2014. The results were from surveys conducted in 2013.

(Photo courtesy of DucDigital)

Smoking Costs Much More Than The Price of Cigarettes

November 26, 2011 By Jeffrey Strain 2 Comments

Most people only consider the cost of cigarettes when they calculate how much smoking is costing them. It’s easy to calculate this cost as you know exactly how much you are handing over in cash for each pack of cigarettes you purchase. The truth, however, is that the cost of cigarettes is only a small portion of the overall cost of smoking.

Most smokers forget to take into account the higher cost of insurance (auto, life, health) for being a smoker, the way that smoking devalues assets (car, home, furniture, etc) and other costs that one might skip over if they didn’t think too hard about all those little extras that add up when you smoke. The below infographic from Cost of Smoking clearly shows that the cost of smoking is a lot more than just the cost of the cigarettes:

Good Oral Health Will Save You Money

December 24, 2010 By Jennifer Derrick 3 Comments

If you’ve been to the dentist lately, you know it isn’t cheap. Making matters worse, many employers don’t offer dental insurance to help defray the cost. Those that do rarely offer comprehensive policies. Dental policies are more likely to cover only a small portion of a treatment leaving you to pay the difference. Many peoples’ answer to this expense is to put off going to the dentist until something is really wrong. This is a bad idea. Problems with your teeth and gums are not only expensive, they can cause other health problems, as well. We now know that bacteria in the mouth can travel and cause inflammation in other parts of the body, resulting in other illnesses. Also, the longer you leave dental problems alone, the costlier they become to fix, if they can be fixed at all. What begins as a tiny cavity ends in an expensive root canal or the total loss of the tooth. Here are some ways you can ensure good oral health and save some money on dental care.

Get regular checkups: Visit the dentist at least once per year. Twice a year is even better. Yes, checkups are pricey but they are nowhere near as expensive as repair work. A checkup can detect a problem while it is still small and (relatively) inexpensive to treat.

Brush and floss daily: Your mother was right on this one. You should brush at least twice daily and floss at least once. And this doesn’t mean a quick swipe with a brush. Brush thoroughly, hitting all areas of your teeth and gums.

Limit soda/sugary drinks: Sodas, coffee drinks, flavored teas, punches, and even fruit juices are loaded with sugar that stays on your teeth long after you’ve finished the drink. Even diet sodas with their artificial sweeteners are trouble. Limit your intake of these items.

Limit sweets and sugared gum: Like sweetened drinks, sweet foods linger on your teeth causing decay.

Stop smoking: Smoking causes tooth discoloration, mouth cancers, and gum disease, not to mention bad breath.

What if you want to take better care of your teeth, but you just can’t afford to visit the dentist? Here are some ways to lower the cost of your dental care.

Go to a dental school: If you live near a dental school, see if you can arrange for treatment there. Many dental schools accept patients from the community so the students can observe and practice procedures. The cost is generally low and may even be free. Students are supervised by licensed dentists, so don’t worry about being subjected to inexperienced hands.

Look into low cost/state subsidized options: Contact your local health department to see if they know of dentists/programs that offer reduced price dental care. Different locations have different offerings and eligibility requirements so a phone call can’t hurt.

Negotiate a payment and/or treatment plan: Ask your dentist to prioritize any work that needs to be done and have the most essential procedures first. The other procedures can wait. If you can’t afford everything that needs to be done, ask your dentist if he can work out a payment plan for you. Many dentists are willing to put you on a plan if you can’t afford to pay right away.

Get a second opinion Sadly, stories abound of dentists who tell patients they need all kinds of unnecessary work done to get the money. Even legitimate and caring dentists can make mistakes. If you are told you need expensive procedures, get a second opinion to make certain you need the work done. You may find you don’t need the work, or that a different dentist has a different (cheaper) treatment idea.

Discuss options: Sometimes there is more than one way to treat a dental problem. Ask your dentist for all of the options and discuss their costs and pros and cons. You may be able to save some money by opting for a different treatment option than the first one suggested.

Shop around: Prices for dental services can vary widely. When a friend had to get a root canal, her regular dentist referred her to a surgeon that wanted to charge $1,400. My friend shopped around and found a dentist in a nearby smaller town that did the procedure for $750, almost fifty percent less. Look around and see if another provider will charge less.

Dental problems are expensive and can really bust a budget. You can avoid or minimize this budgetary pain by taking good care of your teeth and getting problems addressed before they become major. If you have to have expensive work done, look into potential cost saving measures. You’re only going to get one set of teeth so you should take care of them.