Study: Tobacco control lowers Calif. health costs

[DonViejo]

Source: AP


BY BY GARANCE BURKE


SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — California’s tobacco prevention program saved $134 billion in health care costs over the last two decades, according to a new study published Wednesday about the smoking control program’s impacts in the most populous state.

California spent about $2.4 billion from 1989 through 2008 on one of the nation’s most aggressive tobacco control programs, buying up billboards and TV time to run ads against smoking, as well as promoting smoke-free bars and restaurants and tobacco cessation programs.

The study by University of California, San Francisco researchers found that for every dollar spent on the state’s anti-smoking program, health care costs dropped by about $56. Researchers attribute those savings to lower spending on health care due to people quitting or not starting, and those who do light up consuming fewer cigarettes each day.

“The California program has shifted people to being much, much lighter smokers,” said Stanton Glantz, co-author of the study published Wednesday in the science journal PLOS ONE, and the director of the university’s the Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education. “Reducing smoking reduces cancer, heart attacks, asthma attacks and a whole range of diseases, and what we found is those changes are reflected quickly in terms of health care costs.”

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Read more: http://www.salon.com/2013/02/13/study_tobacco_control_lowers_calif_health_costs/

[JDPriestly]

1. Lower health costs are not the only benefit from less smoking in California.

We are on the average an active, stronger, healthier population than we would be if we had more smokers.

Smoking is not only bad for your health, but a waste of time.

I'm so happy to hear this good news, and I hope other states will follow California's example in this respect.

No one is prohibited from smoking in California, but our government educates people to make good decisions about smoking. That's the way to go.

I would like to see us take the same approach to excessive sugar consumption.

[Playinghardball]

2. Only the low-life smoke....in most cases..

[robinlynne]

5. I smoke.

[Hekate]

6. Excuse me?

Do you need a broader brush for that statement?

I'm a Californian who has never smoked -- but sheesh.

[another_liberal]

3. I am not making this up . . .

I am not making this up:

Conservative Radio talk show host, Gary Nolan, has suggested it makes more sense to lift all tobacco taxes, because it will save money on overall health costs! His sources are often laughable, and I'm sure that is also true for where he got his statistics on this point, however, he claims to have proof letting smokers die young would save society a great deal. This is realized, he explains, by avoiding the additional cost of elder care for them which would come into play if they were to live healthier lives of longer duration.

[Auggie]

4. Great news!

More health dollars available for everybody!