$183 million are the estimated health care costs associated with secondhand smoke exposure in the home
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The May/June 2015 issue of the journal American Health Rep published a study entitled, “The economic burden of exposure to secondhand smoke for child and adult never smokers residing in U.S. public housing.”
The study was conducted due to to the World Health Organization stating that In the year 2011, an estimated 37,791 never-smoking child and adult U.S. public housing residents experienced illness and death due to SHS exposure at home. The researchers set out to estimate the costs incurred by society from secondhand smoke exposure in the home.
Based on their research, they estimate that the costs incurred by society for illnesses and deaths associated with secondhand smoke exposure in the home totaled $183 million annually, of which $110 million was for medical care.
The researchers concluded that implementing smoke-free policies in all U.S. public housing could save lives and decrease SHS-related morbidity and mortality in never-smoking residents, resulting in annual societal savings of $183 million.
Read the abstract here
Read the full study