Our View: Still smoking? Save some money by quitting

Were you aware that this is the last day of Tobacco-Free Awareness Week? By now, whether you smoke or not you’re aware of the health, social and weather problems associated with smoking. It’s an expensive habit for some; for others it can lead to a life-threatening illness.

WalletHub, a credit-card-rating company, often puts out surveys, lists and other items we find interesting. This week, it provided a list of the costs of smoking to the nation, to specific states and to individual smokers. Not surprisingly, California did fairly well on this list. First, we have statistically fewer of the nation’s 60 million smokers. Second, tobacco products cost more here than they do in most other states. And finally, smokers here are inconvenienced, compared to many states, by being required to smoke outdoors and away from doorways.

But here’s something smokers might not know. Counting the cost of the habit, the potential for income loss, the cost of additional health care due to smoking-related problems, the pleasure of puffing costs about $1.4 million over a lifetime. At least that’s what WalletHub says. We’re not certain, but we figure it’s expensive. And it can be best avoided by never starting in the first place.

Big week for techies

Considering that the Valley isn’t known for its technological prowess, it’s always nice to see our neighbors excel in the digital world. And there were two who did that this week.

First, Manteca Unified School District became one of the first districts in the nation to give every one of its students a tablet computer. Once past third grade, the students are allowed to take them home and encouraged to explore and play on them – as well as do their homework. It was a huge investment, but one we believe will pay off, in several ways. First, the kids will be adept at using computers virtually from the time they arrive. That’s important because with Common Core, all testing will be done on computers and it’s good to give the kids a head start. Second, textbooks will be downloaded into the tablets. Instead of lugging around a backpack full of books (or leaving them at home), the kids only have to carry their tablet. Third, apparently the students were excited to get the new devices.

State Sen. Cathleen Galgiani was named a “Tech Champion” for 2014 by Today TechAmerica. Basically, it means she was one of the five most supportive legislators in the state this year. The senator, who represents parts of Stanislaus and San Joaquin counties, noted the tech industry is a major contributor to economic growth and jobs. Hopefully, with our children becoming better adept at using tablets (thanks to Manteca Unified), we’ll see some of those jobs show up around here.

That’s entertainment, or not

It did not bother us to see a protester make her feelings known outside the Bill Cosby show last weekend in Turlock. A more profound statement might have been the empty seats in Turlock Community Theatre. We’re glad that the protests here ranged from civil to silent; it reflects well on our communities.

This story was originally published January 23, 2015 at 7:15 PM with the headline "Our View: Still smoking? Save some money by quitting."