The article also explains that insurers may charge higher amounts for people who may be subjected to secondhand smoke at their workplace, which helps explain why many workplaces are becoming smoke-free to cut insurance costs.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Second-hand Smoke Costs Economy $10 Billion
A 2005 study concluded that secondhand smoke costs the U.S. economy about $5 billion in medical costs and about $4.6 billion in lost wages, and that doesn't even include the effect on children who become ill or die from exposure. It also doesn't include the estimated $150 billion loss from direct tobacco use.
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This is tragic. Second-hand smoke is something that can be easily prevented but unfortunately some of the smokers don't care about others' health. Perhaps impose increased taxes on the cost of cigarettes would refrain the users and perhaps reduce the usage of smoking a cigarette and the waste of itself.
ReplyDeleteI think the insurers shouldn't be allowed to charge higher amounts for people who may be subjected to second-hand smoke. At the same time, it is a great idea for many workplaces to become smoke-free zone in an effort to reduce insurance costs.
"The power to tax is the power to destory." - John Marshall
second-hand smoking is more dangerous than smoking itself. maybe this is a good strategy and OWU should ban smoking on campus too. Hopefully we win.
ReplyDeleteIn terms of the national economy, not so much Ohio Wesleyan, but would a reasonable compromise be a high excise tax on cigarettes? This preserves the choice model that as a market economy we believe to be fundamental, but also strongly discourages smoking and recoups some of the costs of secondhand smoke to the economy.
ReplyDeleteNo way can you say that second hand smoke is more dangerous than smoking itself. It may be worse because it harms people other than the smoker. I also think it would be very difficult for OWU to ban smoking on campus.
ReplyDeleteAS far as class goes.. i think its ironic that the argument in this article claims that cigarettes cost the US economy money. For so many years the argument for cigarettes has been how much money it has and will bring into our economy. It would be interesting to look at comparing the money gained by cigarettes to the money lost because of them.
ReplyDeleteI looked into the comparison you mentioned about the economic costs v. benefits and wrote a new post with a link from the Center for Disease Control. It estimates that each pack of cigarettes brings $4.80 into the economy, but costs us $10.47.
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