Re: Smoking, Obesity, Life Span,....$$$

[epirad@mchsi.com]

Kai,



A good starting point would be: 

http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/statehi/statehi_2002.htm



The "savings" of an early death are considered to 

attenuate these costs somewhat.



Bill Field



> Just wondering if there are any honest statistics out there about the net cost 

> to society of smoking, obesity etc. All I ever hear are sound bites about "the 

> cost of treating smoking  (obesity etc) related diseases". Do these statistics 

> take into account the savings in healthcare, social security, pension... that 

> come if people die earlier? The cheapest person, for society, is one that works 

> all his life, pays taxes (including sin taxes) and drops dead from a heart 

> attack the day he retires.

> 

> What does this have to do with radiation? We complain about the lack of thought 

> and understanding the press exhibits when reporting on radiation issues, yet we 

> are ready consumers of junk statistics if they agree with our overall world 

> view. We should have zero tolerance for this nonsense, regardless whether we 

> agree with the overall message or with the messenger. Maybe these statistics 

> consider the savings (I don't know), but I have never heard a reporter raise the 

> question.

> 

> Kai

> 

> 

>     I, for one, am not willing to contribute one cent to pay for 

>     someone (anyone) else's bad habits. 

> 

> 

> 

>   Hence the proposed tax on sodas with sugar in California, because it makes 

> obese kids, and we all pay for that too.  I'm no Gwyneth Paltrow, but I'm no 

> Rosie O'Donnell either.  Fat is a serious health risk.  Why are any of us paying 

> for that?  Or for that matter, as I stated earlier, my daughter's father's 

> family has a history of melanoma.  Why should everyone else bear the cost of my 

> potentially bad breeding choice?  Maybe we should prevent people with any 

> genetically-connected disease or disorder from breeding?  That way we could 

> really bring down health-care costs, right? 

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