Health & Economic Impact of Tobacco 

Tobacco prevention is cost-effective and saves lives.

By passing smoke-free laws, raising the cigarette tax, providing treatment for tobacco addiction, and reducing youth access state tobacco control programs lock in enormous savings over the lifetimes of each person who stops smoking or never starts.

Tobacco use is a major burden on the health care system.

The lifetime health care costs of smokers average at least $16,000 more than nonsmokers, even though smokers may not live as long.

This means that for every thousand kids that Wisconsin can keep from smoking, future healthcare costs in the state will decline by roughly $16 million. In addition, for every thousand adults prompted to quit, future health costs drop by roughly $8.5 million.

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Health Impact of Cigarette Smoking

7,200
Wisconsin residents who die from smoking-related diseases each year.

16 percent
Wisconsin deaths attributed to smoking each year.

143,800
Kids now under 18 & alive in Wisconsin who will ultimately die prematurely from smoking

1,200
Estimated number of Wisconsin adults, children, & babies who die each year from others' smoking (secondhand smoke & pregnancy smoking)

9,796
Number of births affected by smoking during pregnancy in 2003


Economic Impact of Cigarette Smoking

$2.16 billion
Annual health care costs in Wisconsin directly caused by smoking

$442 million
Portion covered by the state Medicaid program

$390
Health care costs of cigarette smoking for every man, woman, and child.

$1.64 billion
Smoking-caused productivity losses in Wisconsin

$11.2 million
Dollar amount spent on births affected by smoking each year in Wisconsin


Impact of Secondhand Smoke

832
Number of people in Wisconsin who die annually from secondhand smoke exposure.

41 percent
Wisconsin homes in 2004 that allowed smoking in the home, even though children live there.

69 percent
Percentage of Wisconsinites that support a comprehensive statewide smoke-free law. (2008 Poll)