The cost to get hooked is small and many teens are addicted after smoking less than a dollar's worth of nicotine. But as Rick's calculations point out, the dollars quickly add up. Imagine cigarette taxes being rasied where you live to levels like those in New York City, where cigarettes are over $7.00 per pack. Each new nicotine addict means thousands in profits to tobacco companies. In stores and movies they bombard your mind with invitations to smoke. When you turn 18 they may even hand you a free pack of 20 cigarettes, knowing that it's all it may take to keep you coming back for life.