Curbing the costs of tobacco use.

The societal costs of tobacco use go beyond direct medical expenditures, which total more than $75 billion per year. Another $80 billion per year accounts for indirect costs, including lost productivity. As states struggle to curb Medicaid costs, it is important to note that about 14 percent of all Medicaid expenditures are related to smoking. The public health community is asking states to control these costs by using proven ways to reduce the burden of tobacco use both on the lives of citizens and the economies of states.