If you smoke and are looking to buy life insurance in Canada, you can expect to pay a much higher premium than a non-smoker does. On term policies, the premiums can be more than double, and on permanent plans, the difference in rates is less pronounced. The insurance definition of a smoker is a male or female who uses nicotine, including cigarettes, cigars, chewing tobacco, a nicotine patch, or nicotine gum. Remember that to qualify for preferred rates, the insurance company can look back up to 12 months. Rates can be up to double for smokers on term plans, but only about 25% higher on permanent plans.