Social cost of tobacco-related disease and best buys.

Recent findings in social cost of tobacco for NSW For the financial year 1998–99, the social cost of tobacco use in NSW was estimated to be $6.6 billion. This figure includes the tangible costs of tobacco use (such as net labour costs to the workforce and household, health care costs and resources used in tobacco consumption) and intangible costs. The estimated intangible social costs of tobacco use is $4.79 billion, or 73% of total costs, and consists of loss of life resulting from the high level of premature mortality caused by smoking. The estimated direct health care cost is $476 million, which includes costs in the medical ($115 million), hospital ($147 million), nursing home ($147 million) and pharmaceutical ($67 million) sectors.