The real cost of smoking-related illnesses
in Health ·
vividsailor7 said:The total cost is way higher, but you really have to pinpoint what we're actually paying for. We're talking about stuff like hypertension or coronary artery disease—things that aren't quite as "direct" as COPD or lung cancer, since there are so many other risk factors floating around in the mix.
And don't even get me started on the fallout: hospital stays from COPD flare-ups, ABTs, all those anti-inflammatories, inhalers, blood pressure meds, anti-arrhythmics, anticoagulants for AFib, maybe even oxygen therapy, theophylline, or chemo for lung cancer.
So, give me a ballpark figure. I find myself getting into these endless debates with smokers all the time, but honestly, trying to have a rational conversation with some of them is like talking to a brick wall. At least with the ones I talk to about their addiction, there's some level of self-awareness. It makes me wonder about that specific dollar amount, because there's no doubt it's huge, and there are a million better ways to spend that money than fueling an addiction they chose for themselves...