The total cost of smoking to the health system is difficult to calculate precisely, but is currently estimated by the Ministry of Health to be at least $1.9b out of the total Health Budget of around $12b.I'll be curious to see what documentation they have backing that up. I do not expect that the anti-tobbac folks would have mistakenly left more than a billion dollars off of the health care costs....
Monday, 3 May 2010
Smoking costs - update
The $1.9 billion figure apparently comes from the Ministry of Health.
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Hi Eric,
ReplyDeleteThe Ministry of Health's website cites Tobias and Turley 2005. I work next to Martin Tobias here at the Ministry of Health. He's gone for the day, but tomorrow I'll reach over and ask him.
I'm guessing that's where they're drawing their attributable deaths figure rather than the costings. Do let me know though.
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