| Are your vices foiling your finances? |
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While the morbidity rates for cigarettes and cancer
grab most of the headlines, Dr. Kava says they only scratch the
surface of the toll tobacco takes on the populace.
"The area of concern that I think is not played
up enough are the chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases like emphysema,"
she says. "That's sort of hideous, people don't really have
enough breath to do much of anything. As a society, we seem to pay
a lot more attention to cancer, but in terms of debilitating diseases,
emphysema ranks way up there."
The problem isn't the nicotine, she says, although
it is addictive and can increase the heart rate and slightly elevate
blood pressure; the bigger threats are in the tars and toxins, including
carbon monoxide, that get inhaled and absorbed into the bloodstream.
"I would rather see somebody with a lifelong
addiction to nicotine use something like the patch or lozenges or
nasal sprays with nicotine for the rest of their lives if they can
just quit smoking," she says. "That's a much better tradeoff
for reducing the risk of these very serious diseases. Just about
anything is better than smoking tobacco."
OK, Mr. or Ms. Pack-a-day, here's your money going
up in smoke:
Bankrate average price of a pack of cigarettes: $5
Daily pack: $5
Weekly: $35
Monthly: $150
Annually: $1,825
That puts that annual community college tuition just
$251 away. Put that into a tax-free 529
college savings plan earning 7 percent for your newborn and
by the time he turns 18, you'll have stashed away $62,048 before
taxes for college.
Morning buzz: Let's count the
beans
OK, enough with the ear beating: We're not about to argue that your
morning self-defibrillation with Colombia's legal cash crop is a
bad thing. Indeed, according to the National
Coffee Association, the average American consumes more than
three cups of hot brown bean water daily. Heck, if it weren't for
coffee, even Bankrate.com might be little more than a blank screen!
"I don't really see any health consequences down
the road from a reasonable intake of caffeine," admits Dr.
Kava. "If you can afford Starbucks and that's your favorite
caffeinated choice, I don't see any reason not to have one in the
morning, although you might consider nonfat milk in place of whole."
Ah yes -- if you can afford it. Cue the froth-maker
please!
Bankrate average price for a Starbucks double tall
latte: $4.
Daily double tall latte: $4
Weekly: $28
Monthly: $120
Annually: $1,460
You know what? When you consider the wi-fi access, the social and
business contacts, the career advancement you can expect for all
your buzzed-out hard work and the free chocolate-covered espresso
bean that comes with it, that morning 'Bucks bump is one luxury
you can definitely afford. Enjoy!
Jay MacDonald is a contributing
editor based in Mississippi.
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