Media Clipping – September 20, 2007, The Nova Scotia Business Journal

Smoking is an economy-draining problem: Report

BY Paul MacLeod, Transcontinental Media

You've gotta spend to save. The Canadian Cancer Society and GPI Atlantic sent that message to the province Wednesday when they called for twice as much anti-smoking funding.

It's not just about health, they say. A new GPI report argues the government would save money overall by spending more to fight smoking. Last year, the government said it generates about $161 million in tobacco tax revenue per year. GPI found tobacco use costs Nova Scotia slightly more than that - $171.3 million - in direct health-care costs.

But the group says that's only half the story. A further $536 million is lost in indirect costs, such as lost productivity, according to the study. "The evidence shows (anti-tobacco funding) does make a practical difference. The Centers for Disease Control in the United States did very, very detailed studies on what types of tobacco control interventions work, and what's the type of return to expect," said Ronald Colman, GPI Atlantic executive director.

The CDC calls for a minimum of $12 per person each year for anti-tobacco funding. The Canadian Cancer Society and GPI are calling for $5 per person in Nova Scotia - a $4.7-million total - which is more than double the current rate. "If you double the spending to $5 per capita, still a lot less than the CDC-recommended amount, then it's going to yield a rate of return that's very much greater than the current one," Colman said.

A representative of the province said the report would be very useful in guiding decisions, but a full doubling of spending won't happen in the near future. "We're not going to see 100% increase in the next fiscal year. I think we need to know that. But it's about how can we strategically invest or reinvest," Tobacco Control Manager Steve Machat said.

The report said smokers take away from the economy by taking unauthorized smoke breaks, and by leaving the workforce earlier because of increased rates of ailments such as heart and lung disease. Some smokers said Wednesday they didn't believe that was true.

"I work just as hard as non-smokers," Halifax resident Shauna MacNeil said. "Whether you smoke or not, your work ethic is the same." Anita McNamara, who also smokes, said she would like to see more funding and higher prices for cigarettes.

"I honestly believe that they should up the cost of cigarettes - as a smoker - just because it is such a strain on the health system. All the money from smoking should go to health," she said. "It might affect my choice on smoking. Quitting is something I've considered in the past two months, just because most of the people around me don't smoke."