Surprise!! Smokers are responsible for LOWER healthcare costs.

[Bill - Shy Cat]

This is just the opposite of what I assumed.

“Smokers have more disease than nonsmokers, but nonsmokers live longer and can incur more health costs at advanced ages.”

As long as you are not exposed to second hand smoke, l guess we should be thankful for smokers. Smokers also don’t draw social security as long as nonsmokers.

The health care costs of smoking - PubMed

If people stopped smoking, there would be a savings in health care costs, but only in the short term. Eventually, smoking cessation would lead to increased health care costs.

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

 

[Ron Mehico]

There’s some insane statistic that I’m sure you can find that like 85% of our healthcare costs are for the last 6 months of people’s lives. Just a total waste.

 

[WildcatFan1982]

There’s some insane statistic that I’m sure you can find that like 85% of our healthcare costs are for the last 6 months of people’s lives. Just a total waste.

When my papa was in his last days he saw an EOB from his care and flat out said ‘this is such a waste of money, this should go to someone younger’

He had terminal cancer. By the time he passed he literally couldn’t do anything he enjoyed. His vision was so bad he couldn’t read or watch tv. He loved to paint but couldn’t hold the brush anymore. He was almost entirely deaf so he couldn’t enjoy his records.

 

[DreadLox]

There’s some insane statistic that I’m sure you can find that like 85% of our healthcare costs are for the last 6 months of people’s lives. Just a total waste.

Not sure what to think of your objection. We’re not supposed to treat serious illness?

It’s not exactly news that people often die from some kind of pathology. It would absolutely save money on medical costs if we didn’t treat anything.

 

[Ron Mehico]

Not sure what to think of your objection. We’re not supposed to treat serious illness?

It’s not exactly news that people often die from some kind of pathology. It would absolutely save money on medical costs if we didn’t treat anything.

The majority of “end of life care” is not treating pathology but extending the life of terminal people, keeping people in a vegetative state alive, prolonging the inevitable. Just look it up - there an entire trillion dollar industry of keeping people around for a just a little bit longer with very little if any benefit. It would cut our healthcare costs dramatically for the vast majority of the population.

 

[DreadLox]

The majority of “end of life care” is not treating pathology but extending the life of terminal people, keeping people in a vegetative state alive, prolonging the inevitable. Just look it up - there an entire trillion dollar industry of keeping people around for a just a little bit longer with very little if any benefit. It would cut our healthcare costs dramatically for the vast majority of the population.

Since Google has quit giving you answers your looking for, it's not an easy subject to research. The numbers I found are these: there are around 30,000 people at a time in a persistent vegetative state. It costs around $90.000/yr for their care. That's around 2.7 billion dollars.

I'm not sure what the answer is. If you're old enough you'll remember the uproar surrounding the decision to withhold care from Terry Schiavo.

 

[Hank Camacho]

Since Google has quit giving you answers your looking for, it's not an easy subject to research.

Word. Their AI results are pretty dreadful.

 

[CaptainBoogerBuns]

Cancer is never “natural causes”

 

[kyboy1998]

A lot of smokers are the type that don’t go to the doctor anyway. So from late teens until older adulthood they haven’t incurred the cost.

They also are more inclined to say screw it if they did go to the doctor and get a terminal diagnosis.

 

[Wildcats1st]

This is just the opposite of what I assumed.

“Smokers have more disease than nonsmokers, but nonsmokers live longer and can incur more health costs at advanced ages.”

As long as you are not exposed to second hand smoke, l guess we should be thankful for smokers. Smokers also don’t draw social security as long as nonsmokers.

The health care costs of smoking - PubMed

If people stopped smoking, there would be a savings in health care costs, but only in the short term. Eventually, smoking cessation would lead to increased health care costs.

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Are you advocating for more smoking? Lol

 

[Stan the caddy]

There’s some insane statistic that I’m sure you can find that like 85% of our healthcare costs are for the last 6 months of people’s lives. Just a total waste.

I think terminally ill people should be terminated. And I’ve lost a dad to heart and kidney disease and watched him waste away for a year, miserable and in pain. And he probably cost the Canadian healthcare system several million dollars for that year. It’s no way to live, and certainly not at the extreme cost it places on society. Those nuts in Midsommar had it right. When you reach age 72, jump off a cliff.

 

[Stan the caddy]

Since Google has quit giving you answers your looking for, it's not an easy subject to research. The numbers I found are these: there are around 30,000 people at a time in a persistent vegetative state. It costs around $90.000/yr for their care. That's around 2.7 billion dollars.

I'm not sure what the answer is. If you're old enough you'll remember the uproar surrounding the decision to withhold care from Terry Schiavo.

 

[MegaBlue05]

A lot of smokers are the type that don’t go to the doctor anyway. So from late teens until older adulthood they haven’t incurred the cost.

They also are more inclined to say screw it if they did go to the doctor and get a terminal diagnosis.

My late FIL was one of them. Started smoking at 10. Died at 75. Diagnosed with COPD at 65 and throat and lung cancer at 73. Smoked until his last two days on earth when he was hospitalized and too weak to get out of his bed.

 

[JDHoss]

It was a Wednesday evening at the hospital when my mom's Dr told me and the hospital preacher that she probably wouldn't live to see the weekend. She died in a nursing facility almost exactly a year later as a bed ridden, frightened, confused, angry, skin covered skeleton who most of the time didn't know who she was or where she was at. If only she could have died in that hospital room, or if we had assisted suicide. In several of her lucid moments in the nursing home, she told me she wished she could die. Too bad we couldn't have made that happen for her.

My dad started smoking at the age of nine. Ever since I can remember, he was a 3 pack a day man. He had his first heart attack at 50 and quit smoking for a month before starting back. By the age of 54, he had gone from a man who could wade rivers and streams, outfishing me, to a guy who couldn't even go fishing in a boat without his oxygen tank. He died at 69, but the last 10 years, he couldn't do shit except watch TV while sitting in his recliner with his oxygen and of course, smoking his Winstons. It's a minor miracle that he didn't set the house on fire and kill himself and mom. At 69, he had his 4th and final heart attack. His Dr said he had the heart of a hundred year old man. He was in a coma for 2 weeks before thankfully passing away. He would have also pulled the plug while he was in ICU after his 3rd heart attack. He knew he'd never leave the hospital alive. The last day I saw him alive and coherent, he was BEGGING me to get him one of his touching Winstons even though he knew they were why he was there. Nicotine is a helluva drug.

 

[Ron Mehico]

Since Google has quit giving you answers your looking for, it's not an easy subject to research. The numbers I found are these: there are around 30,000 people at a time in a persistent vegetative state. It costs around $90.000/yr for their care. That's around 2.7 billion dollars.

I'm not sure what the answer is. If you're old enough you'll remember the uproar surrounding the decision to withhold care from Terry Schiavo.

I feel like assisted suicide would be a nice option

 

[Bill - Shy Cat]

Are you advocating for more smoking? Lol

I hate the tobacco industry. Killed many good people.

 

[Rebelfreedomeagle]

I all for dying with dignity but keep thinking about Logan’s Run.

 

[vhcat70]

This has been known, or at least obvious, for a long time. It's part of why SS benefits ages were unknowingly set so low - nearly half the population smoked.

 

[thabigbluenation]

I smoked for about 10 yrs, 18/19 till around 29. Decided at 30 it was time to stop. Never smoked heavy. Unless drinking I was a casual at break, in the car, after eating type smoker.

When I quit, cold turkey, it was one of the hardest things i ever did. I never realized how addicted I really was. Socially, mentally etc. Food cravings went thru the roof. I remember waking up in the middle of the night and practically eating entire bags of cookies or boxes of donuts etc randomly for weeks. I easily gained 15 or so Ibs in a couple of months and I was a fit, cut dude.

One of the best choices I ever made. I can't imagine a 2, 3 pack a day habit much less trying to quit that.

 

[KAB Cats]

I hate death. Hate the thought of it. Hate when it happens, obviously. I dont want to think about it. I can't really be objective about it. I get really really sad imagining myself in a box for eternity. Life seems shorter the older I get.

Thanks for reading my depressing post.

 

[Bill - Shy Cat]

I hate death. Hate the thought of it. Hate when it happens, obviously. I dont want to think about it. I can't really be objective about it. I get really really sad imagining myself in a box for eternity. Life seems shorter the older I get.

Thanks for reading my depressing post.

I hate the thought of a box also. I will be cremated and have my ashes sprinkled amongst the graves of my pets on our land.

 

[MegaBlue05]

I smoked for about 10 yrs, 18/19 till around 29. Decided at 30 it was time to stop. Never smoked heavy. Unless drinking I was a casual at break, in the car, after eating type smoker.

When I quit, cold turkey, it was one of the hardest things i ever did. I never realized how addicted I really was. Socially, mentally etc. Food cravings went thru the roof. I remember waking up in the middle of the night and practically eating entire bags of cookies or boxes of donuts etc randomly for weeks. I easily gained 15 or so Ibs in a couple of months and I was a fit, cut dude.

One of the best choices I ever made. I can't imagine a 2, 3 pack a day habit much less trying to quit that.

Young me was a huge dumbass. I started smoking at 14 and quit at 34. I was a less than a pack a day smoker until I was 18 and then smoked 1-2 packs a day until I quit. I quit 10 years ago this coming November.

By my 20th year of smoking I was getting 4-6 ear infections + 6-8 sinus infections every year, nose ran constantly in the mornings and I was hacking up some nasty stuff in the mornings.

In the 10 years since I quit, I’ve had 0 ear infections and 1 sinus infection, my nose doesn’t run and I don’t cough up goop.

I can’t believe how bad my clothes, house and car smelled. I can’t stand ti be around cigarette smoke these days and if I am exposed to it in an indoor setting I will feel like I’m getting a cold. Can’t believe I willingly did that to myself for two decades all because a dumb kid didn’t see the harm in smoking a few dozen cigarettes to be “cool” with my buddies.

Like you, I blew up like a ballon and couldn’t keep food out of my mouth. I also chewed the top off several ink pens. My cravings stopped after a year. The first three weeks were the worst.

You and I are among the lucky ones.

 

[thabigbluenation]

Young me was a huge dumbass. I started smoking at 14 and quit at 34. I was a less than a pack a day smoker until I was 18 and then smoked 1-2 packs a day until I quit. I quit 10 years ago this coming November.

By my 20th year of smoking I was getting 4-6 ear infections + 6-8 sinus infections every year, nose ran constantly in the mornings and I was hacking up some nasty stuff in the mornings.

In the 10 years since I quit, I’ve had 0 ear infections and 1 sinus infection, my nose doesn’t run and I don’t cough up goop.

I can’t believe how bad my clothes, house and car smelled. I can’t stand ti be around cigarette smoke these days and if I am exposed to it in an indoor setting I will feel like I’m getting a cold. Can’t believe I willingly did that to myself for two decades all because a dumb kid didn’t see the harm in smoking a few dozen cigarettes to be “cool” with my buddies.

Like you, I blew up like a ballon and couldn’t keep food out of my mouth. I also chewed the top off several ink pens. My cravings stopped after a year. The first three weeks were the worst.

You and I are among the lucky ones.

Yes. Those first 3 weeks I thought I was trying to get off heroin or something. Breaking the nicotine etc happened ok. Breaking the habits of hanging outside at breaks with co worker friends, after eating was tougher. I actually quit drinking alcohol for about 3 months because there was no way I could quit while drinking beer.

Funny story tho, several yrs ago me and the wife had got into a good argument. One of her friends left a pack at the house. I took one out and went outside to light up. Dumbass me thought it was a good idea for my stress. I nearly hawked and nearly puked everywhere. We actually got a good laugh at that and it broke the arguing we were doing.

 

[WildcatFan1982]

I was in a gas station once and the woman in front of me bought a pack of cigs. The cashier said ‘I thought you quit smoking?’ And the woman said ‘well I did, but I need to lose some weight’

 

[JDHoss]

Yes. Those first 3 weeks I thought I was trying to get off heroin or something. Breaking the nicotine etc happened ok. Breaking the habits of hanging outside at breaks with co worker friends, after eating was tougher. I actually quit drinking alcohol for about 3 months because there was no way I could quit while drinking beer.

Funny story tho, several yrs ago me and the wife had got into a good argument. One of her friends left a pack at the house. I took one out and went outside to light up. Dumbass me thought it was a good idea for my stress. I nearly hawked and nearly puked everywhere. We actually got a good laugh at that and it broke the arguing we were doing.

Went out to lunch with a coworker one day. After he finished, he said “I’d give anything for a cigarette”. I told him I didn’t realize he smoked. He said that he quit 15 years ago, but that the urge to light up was almost overwhelming at times, even after 15 years.

 

[MegaBlue05]

Went out to lunch with a coworker one day. After he finished, he said “I’d give anything for a cigarette”. I told him I didn’t realize he smoked. He said that he quit 15 years ago, but that the urge to light up was almost overwhelming at times, even after 15 years.

I don’t crave them any more, but there are occasionally times I will smell a burning cigarette and my brain will want one for a few seconds. It always passes, but it’s crazy how addictive nicotine is.