Study Says Secondhand Smoke Costs $6 Billion Annually

The medical and economic costs of secondhand smoke totaled about $6 billion in 2004, according to a study released by the American Academy of Actuaries.

Cori Uccello, senior health fellow at the Academy, said that the medical costs of coronary heart disease and lung cancer caused by secondhand smoke alone cost the U.S. $2.4 billion. "This includes the medical care of nearly half a million people suffering from coronary heart disease, and an estimated 2,500 patients newly diagnosed with lung cancer -- an extremely deadly form of cancer -- as a result of exposure to secondhand smoke," she said.

Economic losses from secondhand smoke, including lost wages and benefits from disability and premature death, accounted for another $3.2 billion in costs. "It is important for policymakers, who must contemplate public smoking restrictions, to understand both how many people suffer ailments due to secondhand smoke as well as the costs involved," Uccello said.

Other potential secondhand-smoke related costs not considered in the study include those related to low birth weight and sudden infant death syndrome.

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