California Stop-Smoking Campaign Saved $86 Billion: Report

[The Real Bingo]

ABC News: California Stop-Smoking Campaign Saved $86 Billion: Report

California's large-scale tobacco control campaign has saved $86 billion in health care costs in its first 15 years, U.S. researchers said on Monday.

The $86 billion reduction in health costs, based on 2004 dollars, represents about a 50-fold return on the $1.8 billion California spent on the program, they said.

Seems like a double edged sword, though.

According to the study, the program prevented the sale of 3.6 billion packs of cigarettes -- worth $9.2 billion to the tobacco industry -- between 1989 and 2004.

I wonder how much tax revenue they lost, though it surely paled in comparison to money saved.

____

Just think...if they can save that much money by getting people to stop smoking, imagine how much can be saved by getting people to stop being fat! I think insurance companies should take the initiative...it'll surely help lower costs in the long run.

[tony_j15]

or stop drinking....
imagine all the police, ambulances, physical abuse therapists, and mortician's that would be out of a job!

[osprey4]

I read a report some years ago that smokers cost the government less both in SS benefits and in long term health care because they die young. So if the government really wanted to save money, they would eliminate taxes on tobacco products.

[The Real Bingo]

Originally Posted by osprey4

I read a report some years ago that smokers cost the government less both in SS benefits and in long term health care because they die young. So if the government really wanted to save money, they would eliminate taxes on tobacco products.

Good point. All that extra second-hand smoke will start to kill off the healthy people, too...it's a win/win.

[Toadman]

How about a tax credit for not having children in the first place?

[The Real Bingo]

Originally Posted by Toadman

How about a tax credit for not having children in the first place?

That's my position. Either a tax for each kid after the first...or a tax refund for couples that don't have kids. Or a tax refund for single people. Or all three.

[pickel]

Originally Posted by The Real Bingo

That's my position. Either a tax for each kid after the first...or a tax refund for couples that don't have kids. Or a tax refund for single people. Or all three.

Following that logic (???) Why not just sterilize ALL the " Lower Achievers " at birth ???
Give the Gays double because they can't procreate anyway ????
No health care for illegals. Mary had her's in a barn. Good enough for her and The Son of God......
Singles should be left to their own devices. What's the biggest selling commodity on the Internet??
Three's a crowd, unless you subscribe to the last sentence.
First born should share the same fate as the those under Ramses 2 doctrine, the second gets to slide

Bingo..better load your pipe again

[The Real Bingo]

Originally Posted by pickel

Following that logic (???) Why not just sterilize ALL the " Lower Achievers " at birth ???

Why sterilize? "Low achievers" implies poor. Assuming they're poor, they may have enough sense to know they literally can't afford to have kids. Of course, that's in a society where the government doesn't hand out welfare to these people.

Give the Gays double because they can't procreate anyway ????

Are gay women born without ovaries? Are gay men born without testicles? They can procreate if they wanted to.

No health care for illegals.

No kidding

Mary had her's in a barn. Good enough for her and The Son of God......

It's worked.

Singles should be left to their own devices. What's the biggest selling commodity on the Internet??

I think you need to stop smoking your pipe.

Three's a crowd, unless you subscribe to the last sentence.
First born should share the same fate as the those under Ramses 2 doctrine, the second gets to slide

Bingo..better load your pipe again

You need to organize your thoughts better. Not even sure they can be considered thoughts.

[Toadman]

Following that logic (???) Why not just sterilize ALL the " Lower Achievers " at birth ???

Rich or poor a carbon footprint is a carbon footprint, is it not?

[jokostel]

Someone can cut n paste!
Give the man a gold star!