Published Tuesday in the journal Tobacco Control and coordinated by the World Health Organization (WHO), a study shows that smoking is a real sinkhole and that it absorbs about 6% of global spending on health as well as 2% of gross domestic product (GDP) global.
AT GLOBAL LEVEL THE COST OF SMOKING RISES TO 1436 BILLION DOLLARS
In the journal Tobacco Control and coordinated by the World Health Organization (WHO), the study shows that in 2012, the total cost of smoking was $ 1436 billion worldwide, 40% of which was borne by developing countries . She points out that while research has already looked at the costs of smoking, it has focused on high-income countries.
With this study, researchers collected data on 152 countries, representing 97% of all smokers on the planet. They estimated the cost of smoking by including direct expenses (hospitalizations and treatments) and indirect expenses (calculated on the basis of productivity lost due to illness and premature death).
In 2012, smoking was the cause of just over 2 million deaths among adults aged 30 to 69 worldwide, or about 12% of all deaths in this age group. age, according to this study. The highest percentages, according to the researchers, were observed in Europe (26%) and America (15%).
In the same year, direct health expenditure related to smoking totaled 422 billion worldwide, or 5,7% of all health expenditure, a percentage that reaches 6,5% in high income countries.
In Eastern Europe, expenditure directly linked to smoking represents 10% of the total health envelope. A quarter of the total economic cost of smoking is borne by four countries: China, India, Brazil and Russia. In relation to the GDP of the various countries, smoking has proved particularly costly in Eastern Europe (3,6% of GDP) as well as in the United States and Canada (3%). The rest of Europe is at 2% against 1,8% globally.
The researchers stress that they did not include in their calculations the damage linked to passive smoking, responsible for around 6 million deaths per year according to the study, or those linked to smokeless tobacco (snuff, chewing tobacco …) Widely used in Southeast Asia in particular. In addition, their calculations relate only to the economically active population. " These results show that there is an urgent need for all countries to put in place anti-smoking programs to reduce these costs. », Conclude the authors.
DESPITE THE NUMBERS, THE E-CIGARETTE MUST REMAIN A TOBACCO PRODUCT
How many studies of this kind will be needed? How many deaths will it take? How many millions will it take for all this to cost the States so that the electronic cigarette is finally considered as a potential solution to fight against smoking? While waiting for our dear personal vaporizer which we have the proof that it is at least 95% less harmful than the traditional cigarette remains a tobacco product. The precautionary principle as ridiculous as it continues to prevail over the famous reduction of risks which could yet save millions of people who have sunk into smoking. The numbers are there, it is urgent and institutions such as the World Health Organization (WHO) cannot afford to continue to fight against a tool that could reduce an already significant death rate from smoking.
Source : Pourquoidocteur.fr
