RM17 gets you far, so why blow it on ciggies?

Smokers are feeling the squeeze as prices of cigarettes are increased so maybe the smart thing to do is not switch to vaping, but give up the smoking habit altogether.

KUALA LUMPUR: The price of cigarettes has just shot up and smokers are feeling the pinch with many lamenting that looking for an alternative like vaping is also pointless since the government has moved in to confiscate all vaping paraphernalia containing nicotine.

A report in The Star Online however zeroed in on the exorbitant cost of cigarettes and compared it with what smokers could actually eat or drink instead of literally seeing their hard earned cash go up in smoke.

The report included an infographic which showed what smokers could enjoy for RM17, the price of the most popular range of British American Tobacco (BAT) cigarettes on the market.

According to the report, RM17 was enough to buy a smoker 32 eggs or eight cups of ‘teh tarik’ or if one so wished, nine ‘roti canai’ for a sumptuous breakfast.

Smokers with growing kids would probably like to know that RM17 could get them roughly 600g of milk powder or 26 diapers and if one opted for home-cooked food, one could buy a whole chicken to sufficiently feed an entire family for under RM15.

For working Malaysians, RM17 could see you through four pieces of KFC fried chicken, or four plates of fried rice for lunch. Better yet get you eight litres of RON95 petrol so you get to the office on time.

For the more extravagant, dumping your smoking habit could buy you four slices of Domino’s pizza with the best toppings ever.

So maybe smokers should heed the advise of the Ministry of Health and seriously think of spending their precious RM17 on other items rather than clogging up your lungs at the expense of your health.