Smoking Complicates Existing Conditions: Dana C., 43, has been smoking for 24 years. Dana also has diabetes. This combination is equivalent to playing Russian roulette. Her risk of complications is significantly increased with the addition of cigarette smoking, and her life is in danger. The most important step she can take is to quit immediately. John W., 56, has been smoking two and a half packs per day for the past 40 years. Recently, he had suffered a heart attack and was told by his doctor to quit right away. John continues to smoke, using the excuse that he enjoys it too much. It seems as though he looks forward to his demise... These examples illustrate the following facts: Smokers have higher hospital admissions, take longer to recover from illness/injury, and have higher outpatient healthcare costs
Ten percent of smokers alive today are living with a smoking-related illness Smoking in the Boardroom: The estimated expense due to nicotine addiction is staggering, and often underestimated. These effects are felt across the board on many companies balance sheet. It is estimated that companies lose an average of $3400 per year for every employee that smokes ($1600 for direct medical costs, and $1700 due to indirect costs). Nearly twice as much production time is lost as compared with employees who do not smoke. Smokers have, on average, up to sixty percent more missed days from work per year than non smokers. Add to this the amount of extra breaks, which average a cost of $5,625 per smoker. Michael Seserman, Director of cancer prevention strategies for the American Cancer Society states that "smokers get an average of an extra three weeks vacation per year!" Statistics, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), comparing smokers with non smokers: Lost production time is 75% higher Annual workers compensation costs are up to 12 times higher Smokers are absent from work an extra 2.9 days Healthcare costs, are on average, thirty percent higher Every pack of cigarettes sold creates more than $7 in medical care expenses and lost productivity You could be funding your IRA account: If you smoke around a pack a day, that adds up to approximately $2000 per year. This is a reasonable figure to contribute annually towards your retirement. And besides, you will be in much better health to enjoy it when the time to retire rolls around. The CDC recognizes that paying for tobacco use cessation treatments is the single most cost-effective health insurance benefit for adults that can be provided to employees. While almost two thirds of Americans under the age of 65 are insured through an employer, only 24% of employers offer any coverage for tobacco-use treatment. Considering that tobacco cessation is more cost-effective than other common and covered disease prevention interventions, such as the treatment of hypertension and high blood cholesterol, the benefits of offering employees assistance and incentives to quit smoking will help cut expenses by reducing employee absence and turnover, increasing productivity, and saving on health and life insurance premiums. In addition, every employed smoker that quits will, on average, have less years of disability, improved productivity, less sick days, and will live a longer life. |
