(Bloomberg) -- The cost of maintaining a drugs, booze and cigarettes habit got a lot more expensive in the U.S. last year, rising more than almost anywhere in the world, the annual Bloomberg Global Vice Index shows. The gauge compares the share of income needed to maintain a broad weekly habit of cigarettes, alcohol, marijuana, amphetamines, cocaine and opioids across more than 100 countries. The gross weekly cost exceeded $1,000 in only three countries: Japan, New Zealand and Australia. By comparison, an equivalent basket ran less than $100 in 21 mostly tropical countries, including the Dominican Republic, Ghana, Congo, Colombia, South Africa, Guatemala, Kenya and Myanmar.
--With assistance from Lee Miller Marine Strauss and Wei Lu
To contact the reporters on this story: Adrian Leung in Hong Kong at aleung206@bloomberg.net, Hannah Dormido in Hong Kong at hdormido@bloomberg.net.
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Alex Tanzi at atanzi@bloomberg.net, Matt Turner
©2018 Bloomberg L.P.
Essential Business Intelligence, Continuous LIVE TV, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.
