How2Day: The Effects of Smoking on Health Care

Smoking is deadly -- and expensive. Dkal Inc./Digital Vision/Getty Images
Cigarette smoking accounts for nearly 20 percent of all deaths in the United States, according to the American Cancer Society. As such, the effects of smoking on health care are broad and far-reaching. Knowing about smoking and how it effects your employees, your company and your health care plan is important for your business. After learning the facts you may wish to implement a company-wide smoking cessation incentive program.

With the number of smoking-related deaths and illnesses, it will come as little surprise that there are health-care costs related to smoking. Nearly $100 billion is spent each year on smoking-related health care, according to an article published by MSN's Money Central. Alliedquotes.com estimates that for every pack of cigarettes purchased, an additional $7.18 was spent on health care.

The additional costs of health care are passed onto nonsmoking consumers in the form of higher premiums. An early study on the matter in 1992 by a single company found that smokers cost the company health care plan more than $462 per person per year. This individual cost is passed on to other members of the group plan in the form of higher premiums.

Nearly everyone associates lung cancer with smoking. In fact, cigarette smoking causes 30 percent of all cancer cases in the United States, according to the American Cancer Society, including 90 percent of all lung cancer deaths. Additional types of cancer associated with smoking include larynx, stomach, throat, cervix, kidney, bladder and pancreatic cancer.

The reproductive health of women is detrimentally effected by smoking cigarettes, according to the American Cancer Society. There are a number of fertility problems associated with smoking, including increased risk of miscarriage, premature birth, stillbirth, low-birth weight and even sudden infant death syndrome. Men have their own reproductive problems tied to smoking, including erectile dysfunction.

There are a myriad of health problems related to smoking. Pneumonia and asthma symptoms are increased. Gum disease, cataracts, thinning bones, peptic ulcers even blindness may result from smoking. Peripheral vascular disease may result from smoking and the normal surgeries used to help repair the disorder cannot be performed on smokers.

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