By Julian Do and Peter Schurmann, New America Media
We all know the health risks associated with smoking. But according to a new study from the University of California San Francisco, the financial toll for states and counties is almost as staggering.
According to the UCSF School of Nursing’s Institute for Health & Aging, smoking-related illnesses cost California $18.1 billion in 2009. That comes to about $487 per resident or $4,603 per smoker. The costs included direct healthcare expenses as well as lost productivity due to illness or death.
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