And here according to the Ministry of Health;
H3) What are the economic and other costs of smoking?
Smoking costs all New Zealanders. It:
* costs our health system over $200 million per year (1992 dollars) to treat smoking-related illnesses
But the DomPost this morning is saying;
This is blatantly about building public support for tax hikes and turning non-smokers against smokers who have apparently overnight incurred a 760 percent increase in their health bill.
4 comments:
Lindsay
it's well known that smokers are a net credit to the health and welfare system. By dying sooner, smokers save productive kiwis billions every year in forgone pensions, and - very often - many benefits also.
Policies that stop smoking and stop drinking only increase the tax burden on the productive
PS: Nick "commie" Clegg is promosing to cut UK govt spending by 25% overnight. Why can't even ACT manage that here??
Lies and more lies from a mediocre newspaper.
I'm getting closer to cancel my subscription to the Dom Post.
I think you will find that the Dom-Post is actually quoting the total annual cost of smoking including the amortised costs of loss of productivity due to disability and early death. The actual health-related costs are about 250 million, as you point out.
Of course, the loss of productivity estimated is not a tax-payer cos, per se.
I too noticed the sudden increase in claimed health cost and point you towards this excellent article:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/opinion/perspective/4311009/Ministrys-figures-need-analysis
Post a Comment