Quitting Tobacco Helps Save on Insurance Premiums

8/6/2010

To save money on health insurance and other long-term medical costs, quitting smoking is a good place to start. In fact, cigarettes have become so expensive in some states that quitting can be as much an economic decision as it is a health one.

However, researchers are warning that people who use more than one type of tobacco product are making things tougher on themselves when it comes to quitting or facing health risks like cancer.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, men aged 18 to 24 are among the most likely to smoke cigarettes while also using products like cigars, pipes and other things.

"Every day smoking kills more than 1,000 people and is the leading preventable cause of death. The more types of tobacco products people use, the greater their risk for many diseases caused by tobacco, such as cancer and heart disease," said Dr. Thomas Frieden, director of the CDC.

People who smoke are far more likely over time to be diagnosed with a chronic health condition like heart disease. Along with the medical risks brought on by smoking, another common result is higher life and health insurance costs.