IMPACT ON ECONOMIC

The results of all credible peer-reviewed studies show that Smoke-free policies and regulations do not have a negative impact on business revenues. Establishing Smoke-free workplaces is the simplest and most cost-effective way to improve worker and business health.
Source from: The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke, Report of the Surgeon General, 2006

The tobacco industry uses economic arguments to persuade governments, the media and the general population that smoking benefits the economy. It claims that if tobacco control measures are introduced, tax revenues will fall, jobs will be lost and there will be great hardship to the economy.

But the industry greatly exaggerates the economic losses, if any, which tobacco control measures will cause and they never mention the economic costs which tobacco inflicts upon every country.

Tobacco’s cost to governments, to employers and to the environment includes social, welfare and health care spending, loss of foreign exchange in importing cigarettes; loss of land that could grow food; costs of fires and damage to buildings caused by careless smoking; environmental costs ranging from deforestation to collection of smokers’ litter, absenteeism, decreased productivity, higher numbers of accidents and higher insurance premiums.
Source from: www.who.int/tobacco