What does this tool help you learn?

This interactive tool calculates how much money you have spent on cigarettes in the past or how much you will spend on them in the future.

What should you keep in mind?

When computing future costs, this calculator does not take into account a rise in the cost of cigarettes. The actual amount you spend will be higher.

Although you may be surprised at how much you spend on cigarettes over a period of time, smoking costs even more when you consider the cost from illnesses caused by smoking, including treatment costs and days of missed work or school. The more cigarettes you smoke and the longer you smoke, the more costs will add up from smoking-related medical problems such as lung cancer, heart disease, or emphysema.

Perhaps most importantly, this tool can't calculate the costs that aren't measured in dollars. Smoking will eventually take a toll on how much you can enjoy life. And it will likely have an impact on the people you care about.

Healthwise (2012). Cost of smoking calculation formula: (Average number of cigarettes smoked per day/Number of cigarettes in a pack) X (Cost for pack) X 365 X (Total number of years the person has smoked or intends to smoke).

What's next?

Quitting smoking can be difficult, especially if you have been smoking for a long time. It may take several tries before you succeed. But even if you have a strong dependence on nicotine, it is still possible to quit. And even if you have smoked for many years, quitting smoking now can still increase your lifespan and improve the quality of your life.

The best way to stop smoking is to get help and to follow a plan. You can increase your chances of quitting if you:

• Take medicines such as bupropion (Zyban) or varenicline (Champix).
• Use nicotine replacement therapy (gum, lozenges, patches, or inhalers).
• Get counselling (by phone, group, or one-on-one).

Both taking medicine and getting counselling works even better for quitting smoking.