Since the cigarette tax increase of June 2024, the average price of a pack of cigarettes in New York City is over $8.00. At that price, a pack-a-day smoker will spend $240 per month and almost $3,000 per year on cigarettes.

If you quit smoking a pack-a-day, here's what you could do with the savings:

• Rent an apartment with one additional bedroom.
• Lease a new car.
• Pay for health insurance.
• Pay for daycare or a babysitter for your children.
• Go on a vacation to the Caribbean or Latin America.
• Buy three new laptops, two color printers, and two years of high-speed internet service.
• Pay your utility bills for an entire year.
• Buy a yearly Harlem YMCA membership for two families (4 adults + children).
• Buy a Wii for the first month, and Wii-Fit and two controllers the second month, and a new game for your Wii every week after that.
• Buy two tickets for Amateur night at Apollo Theater every week.
• Buy a 58" flat-panel HDTV.
• Buy tickets to every Mets home game.
• Download 3,000 songs.
• Get a weekly massage.
• Hire a weekly cleaning service.
• Have dinner for two at a nice restaurant every week.
• Pay off student loans.
• Buy Broadway tickets for two once a month.

For more information about quitting, please visit New York State's Quitline website at http://www.nysmokefree.com/newweb/default.aspx or call them for free coaching, medication and support at 1-866-NY-QUITS (1-866-697-8487)

Did you Know? is a series of health articles written by HHPC and reviewed by our Health Advisory Board.