Study Finds: Smoking Lowers Income and Career Opportunities Over Time

A study published in the journal Nicotine and Tobacco Research finds that smoking not only harms your health, but it can also significantly damage your career and long-term earning potential.

The study followed around 2,000 Finnish adults for nearly two decades and found that for every "pack-year" (smoking one pack per day for a year), there was an average 1.8% drop in income and 0.5 fewer years of employment.

Smoking’s Hidden Career Costs

The negative impact was especially pronounced among:

• Young adults with lower education

• Older workers in physically demanding jobs

• Professionals early in their careers

Researchers found that frequent smoking breaks reduce effective work hours, while shortness of breath and fatigue harm job performance. Additionally, many employers prefer to hire or promote non-smokers, which affects hiring and advancement opportunities.

Quitting Pays Off

The study found that reducing smoking by just five pack-years could lead to a 9% increase in income — a significant financial boost that can improve long-term savings, housing affordability, and retirement quality.

Breaking the Poverty Cycle

Dr. Marko Halonen, lead researcher on the study, highlighted a troubling cycle: “Smoking not only lowers earning potential, but it also makes it harder to escape poverty, since people from lower socio-economic backgrounds are more likely to smoke.”

What Can Be Done?

The researchers emphasize the importance of workplace smoking cessation programs, especially for high-risk groups. They recommend that employers offer financial incentives for employees who participate in quitting programs — not only to boost productivity, but also to support employee well-being in the long term.