Media release

9 May 2008

Smoking down the house

Recent calculations showing that Australian smokers spend about $A300,000 ($NZ365,365) in their lifetime and figures from the UK showing British smokers spend an average of 102,895 £($NZ260,869) on cigarettes in their lifetime is a timely reminder for smokers here.

The typical Kiwi smoker will puff away on 17 cigarettes a day - a total of 6188 a year or 386,750 over an adult lifetime.

Based on the average cost of $11 for a packet of 20 this equates to $66 a week or $3421 a year. Smokers can calculate their own spending at on The Quit Group's website using an online quit calculator.

ASH Director, Ben Youdan says smokers tend to vastly underestimate how much they spend on their addiction.

"Instead of spending over three grand on tobacco the money could instead be put towards an overseas holiday or flat screen TV." says. Mr Youdan.

ENDS

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