Photo: Rentalcars.com
One of the main arguments anti-smoking campaigners are using to convince people to quit is pointing out the things they miss out on financially. This time, to celebrate May 31st World No-Tobacco Day, someone thought to give us an idea of what car one could afford by quitting.
The group that did the math is called Leasing.com, one of the biggest British leasing online marketplaces, an organization with an obvious interest in giving smokers a reason to stop.
Leasing’s math is simple. Taking the average price of a pack of smokes in the UK (£10.70 presently) and the number of cigarettes an average Brit goes through in 24 hours (11.3), the resulting amount of cash spent during an entire year on this deadly habit amounts to £2,206.61 ($2,784).
That’s enough cash for a local to go out and lease, for three years, cars like the Honda Jazz and Seat Leon, going all the way to Volvo S90 or Mercedes-Benz A-Class.
“Besides the obvious health benefits of quitting smoking, there are massive financial savings. Heavy smokers could swap cigarettes for a premium Mercedes-Benz, a hybrid Hyundai or even a convertible Mazda to allow them to breathe fresh air into their smoke-free lungs,” stated Paul Harrison, Leasing.com’s head of strategic partnership.
But could it be really that easy?
For one, as an old saying goes, the sum of all vices is constant, so quitting cigarettes will likely not save you money, but force you to spend it on something else, equally as useless.
Then, it’s doubtful this financial approach is a good strategy for convincing people to quit. After all, smoking is in some cases a physical addiction, whereas the desire to own a Vauxhall Corsa is likely not.
Lastly, if one can afford to pay £10.70 ($13.5, almost double the average price for smokes in some U.S. states) for a pack of cigs each day, chances are they’re able to afford a car as well, without having to give up their habit.
Leasing’s math is simple. Taking the average price of a pack of smokes in the UK (£10.70 presently) and the number of cigarettes an average Brit goes through in 24 hours (11.3), the resulting amount of cash spent during an entire year on this deadly habit amounts to £2,206.61 ($2,784).
That’s enough cash for a local to go out and lease, for three years, cars like the Honda Jazz and Seat Leon, going all the way to Volvo S90 or Mercedes-Benz A-Class.
“Besides the obvious health benefits of quitting smoking, there are massive financial savings. Heavy smokers could swap cigarettes for a premium Mercedes-Benz, a hybrid Hyundai or even a convertible Mazda to allow them to breathe fresh air into their smoke-free lungs,” stated Paul Harrison, Leasing.com’s head of strategic partnership.
But could it be really that easy?
For one, as an old saying goes, the sum of all vices is constant, so quitting cigarettes will likely not save you money, but force you to spend it on something else, equally as useless.
Then, it’s doubtful this financial approach is a good strategy for convincing people to quit. After all, smoking is in some cases a physical addiction, whereas the desire to own a Vauxhall Corsa is likely not.
Lastly, if one can afford to pay £10.70 ($13.5, almost double the average price for smokes in some U.S. states) for a pack of cigs each day, chances are they’re able to afford a car as well, without having to give up their habit.
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