Annual economic costs attributable to cigarette smoking in Texas

Abstract

The costs attributable to smoking in Texas continue to rise. The most recent estimates show more than $4 billion in 1990 can be associated with the direct health-care costs from treatments for disease and the indirect costs associated with mortality and morbidity. The breakdown of these estimates for adults 35 years and older shows 61% of the total costs was due to premature death caused by smoking, 29% due to direct health-care costs, and 9% attributable to indirect morbidity costs, which indicate lost wages caused by smoking-related illness. The 1990 smoking-attributable deaths estimated at 24,600 far exceed the accumulated deaths, 9430 in 1991, caused by auto accidents, homicide, AIDS, alcohol, fires, cocaine, crack, heroin, and morphine. The estimates are prepared by The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center Office of the Vice President for Health Policy for the Office of Smoking and Health, Bureau of Chronic Disease Prevention and Control, Texas Department of Health.