PHA-Exchange> Social costs of smoking are triple those of illicit drugs - BMJ

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Social costs of smoking are triple those of illicit drugs - BMJ
2003;326:242 ( 1 February )

Christopher Zinn Sydney
The financial impact of tobacco and alcohol far outweigh the impact of
illicit drugs, with smoking costing the community almost three times as
much as any other category of drug, according to a study on the social
costs of drug use in Australia.
The report, produced for the federal government's national drug
strategy, estimates that tobacco accounted for 61.2% of the costs to
society of drugs, or $A21bn (£7.6bn; $12.4bn; €11.5bn). For the first
time the cost calculations included an estimate of the impact of passive
smoking and newly available data to assess the effect on the Australian
population of absenteeism, drugs, ambulances, fires, crime, and even
litter.
Alcohol accounted for 22% of total costs ($A7.5bn) and illegal drugs for
17% ($A6.0bn). The calculations for the survey period, 1998-9, included
both tangible and intangible costs to individuals, companies, and
governments. Tangible costs included hospital care, road crashes, loss
of productivity and tax revenue, and increased crime and policing. The
intangible costs included pain and suffering.
The methods used in this report, the third of its kind, differed so much
from the previous reports as to preclude comparisons. Long lists of
conditions associated with different types of drug use¯such as
hypertension (associated with alcohol), ischaemic heart disease
(smoking), and low birth weight (cocaine)¯were compiled. The authors
found it impossible to estimate the costs of the misuse of prescribed
pharmaceuticals.
One of the authors, David Collins, a professor in economics at Sydney's
Macquarie University, said the report had, for the first time, measured
the cost of passive smoking, assessing it at A$47m. Fires resulting from
cigarettes were estimated to cost A$81m.
"A lot of the impact of . . . involuntary smoking is on the unborn child
and on children under 14 years. It hits the young very hard because they
have no control over their lives," he told the Sydney Morning Herald (21
Jan). "Tobacco is still the greatest killer by far and imposes the
greatest costs."
The report said the costs were all net costs and, consistent with
previous studies, were estimated conservatively. Lower cost alternatives
were selected when there was a choice.
Cannabis, opiates, stimulants, hallucinogens, and anabolic steroids were
listed as illicit drugs.
Alcohol was found to have prevented more deaths than it caused because
of the beneficial effects of moderate consumption. In the survey period
4286 people reportedly died because of alcohol but 7029 deaths were
avoided.
Drug agencies said that they had been aware that tobacco and alcohol
were responsible for more problems than were illicit drugs, but they
added that the report would show the general public how legal drugs had
much more impact.
Professor Collins said the report showed that the costs of drug use are
so high that the benefits from even a small reduction in consumption
could be large. "Antitobacco programmes yield very high rates of return, 
and the same is
true for illicit drugs," he said. Counting the Cost is at 
www.nationaldrugstrategy.gov.au/new/
http://bmj.com/cgi/content/full/326/7383/242/a



FWD: Syed Mahbubul Alam Tahin

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