When it comes to tobacco usage, Tennessee ranks near the top of the list.

With the economic and societal costs of smoking totaling more than $300 bullion year and rising, personal-financial website WalletHub recently its report titled “The Real Cost of Smoking by State” Wednesday with some alarming numbers ticking over toward the “Volunteer State”.

In the course of compiling the report, WalletHub used information from the Center for Diseases Control to estimate roughly 36 million residents in the country who smoke. WalletHub calculated the potential monetary losses, including lifetime and annual costs of a cigarette pack per day, health care expenditures, income loss and other costs brought on by smoking and secondhand smoke.

Tennessee has a reported $1,197,782 cost per smoker during a lifetime, according to the report with healthcare cost per smoker totalling $122,073 – ranking sixth among other states in the country.

Combating tobacco usage locally has picked up steam over the recent years with initiatives from the Carter County Health Department.  Currently, the department and Carter County Drug Prevention Coalition are partnering to host free “Freedom From Smoking” classes to help residents break the habit of using tobacco products. Classes are going on throughout this month and February each monday at the Carter County Drug Prevention Coalition location downtown.

“Freedom From Smoking” is just another tool in the arsenal of local community organizations as Carter County works toward the status of becoming a Healthier Tennessee Community through the Governor’s Foundation for Health & Wellness.

As several groups look to implement healthier alternatives for residents, the designation by the Foundation could ultimately see the county and city receive grant funding, through Grow Carter County, to help implement ideas. The organization has already reaped benefits of the Foundation. Official recently received funding for different projects, including installing water bottle refill stations at local schools, from just being recognized as a potential Healthier Community.

To learn more about healthier alternatives and resources underway in the community, contact the health department of CCDP.