On the smoking thing - I was thinking about it over the weekend. And how expensive the quitting smoking things - the patch, the gum, etc are so expensive.
And it occured to me that alcohol is also an addictive substance that is legal. And how health insurance has to cover rehab. And how employers have to allow people to go to rehab without fear of losing their jobs. And how some states will cover rehab.
Why doesn't health insurance cover smoking cessation programs? In the long run, it would save them money from having to treat people from cancer, emphezema, asthma, and all of the other various illnesses that happen from smoking.
For us, if we could afford the huge upfront cost of the gum or the patch, or if it was subsidized in some way by our health insurance, it would be a lot easier to quit.
Just a thought.