Tobacco.org

• Smoking costs America $101 bn annually in health care 

Though use of tobacco is declining in the US compared to developing countries, the habit still costs the country more than $101 billion in health care.

"Annual healthcare costs, both public and private, caused by smoking amount to $96 billion while $5 billion is spent on healthcare related to second-hand smoke. Premature deaths caused by smoking amount to $97 billion in productivity losses," according to the Tobacco Burden Facts on the US, released by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, at the ongoing 14th World Conference on Tobacco or Health in Mumbai Tuesday.

According to the data, the US remains the second largest consumer of cigarettes in the world despite a decline in smoking with the percentage of current US adult smokers (above 18 years) decreasing 17 percent now from 1970.

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