The health and economic burden of cigarette smoking in Georgia in 1985.

Using the estimated prevalence of current and former cigarette smoking among Georgians, death certificate data in 1985, and the available literature on smoking-related health risks, we estimated the health and economic impact of cigarette smoking in Georgia in a single year. We estimated, using relatively conservative assumptions, the mortality and years of life lost prematurely, as well as the costs of medical care for ill individuals, lost wages due to death, and lost wages due to illness attributable to smoking. In 1985, past or present smoking was the cause of death for more than 7,700 Georgians, accounting for over 120,000 years of expected life lost prematurely, and with an overall societal cost exceeding $1.5 billion dollars. Cardiovascular diseases were the major cause of all estimated deaths associated with smoking. The prevalence of current smokers is higher in Georgians than the national average; this approach to examining the risks may be useful in lowering that prevalence by influencing patient education in Georgia.