The Co$t of Secondhand Smoke

Secondhand smoke imposes significant costs on nonsmokers and society, according to a Society of Actuaries (SOA) study that concluded the annual cost of excess medical care, mortality and morbidity from secondhand smoke exposure in the U.S. is approximately $10 billion.

 This includes approximately $5 billion in direct medical costs and approximately $5 billion in indirect costs, such as lost wages, reduced services and costs associated with disabilities per year.  From the report:

..."the public health concern is elevated because secondhand smoke deaths are occurring among individuals who have decided not to smoke, and thus their increased risk for disease and death is involuntary."

 The complete report:  http://www.soa.org/files/pdf/ETSReportFinalDraft(Final%203).pdf

The Society of Actuaries (SOA) is the largest professional, actuarial organization in the world.