Jump to full article: AAP (Australian Associated Press) (au), 2009-06-19
Author: Danny Rose, Medical Writer
Intro: AUSSIE smokers burn a collective $7.4 billion hole in their pockets every year to sustain their habit.
The nation's average smoker lights up 14 cigarettes a day, research shows, and this cost over the year totals more than $2,500.
The poll by Galaxy Research also shows smokers lose a significant amount of productive time - as nipping out for ciggie adds up to 17 days over the year.
"Time expenditure is a great example of how smoking affects the quality of life of more than just the smoker," says Newcastle-based psychiatrist and addiction expert Dr Allan White.
"Seventeen days or 408 hours per person smoking every year is time that could be spent with family and friends - something that can be hard to come by given many peoples' fast paced lifestyles."
The poll of 1,100 randomly selected people was conducted in late February, when it found nearly one in five (18 per cent) Australians rated themselves as smokers.
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