[C-U Smokefree] Smokefree workplaces new study: tobacco industry will lose $2.3bln/yr

[Theotskl at aol.com]

Hi there--

this just in from a new study on the benefits of a situation in which all 
workplaces (as opposed to about 69% of all US workers being employed in indoor 
smofree places currently ) going smokefree.

Cheers!

Theo

Theo Tsoukalas, Ph.D.

Cardiovascular health and economic effects of smoke-free workplaces

Abstract

Purpose
Smoking is the leading controllable risk factor for heart disease. Only
about 69% of U.S. indoor workers are currently covered by a smoke-free
workplace policy. This analysis projects the cardiovascular health and
economic effects of making all U.S. workplaces smoke free after 1 year and
at steady state.

Methods
We estimated the number of U.S. indoor workers not covered by smoke-free
workplace policies, and the effects of making all workplaces smoke free on
smoking behavior and on the relative risks of acute myocardial infarctions
and strokes. One-year and steady-state results were calculated using an
exponential decline model. A Monte Carlo simulation was performed for a
sensitivity analysis.

Results
The first-year effect of making all workplaces smoke free would produce
about 1.3 million new quitters and prevent over 950 million cigarette packs
from being smoked annually, worth about $2.3 billion in pretax sales to the
tobacco industry. In 1 year, making all workplaces smoke free would prevent
about 1500 myocardial infarctions and 350 strokes, and result in nearly $49
million in savings in direct medical costs [from heart attacks; including
the strokes, the total is $60 million]. At steady state, 6250 myocardial
infarctions and 1270 strokes would be prevented, and $224 million would be
saved in direct medical costs annually [from heart attacks; including
strokes the number is $279 million]. Reductions in passive smoking would
account for 60% of effects among acute myocardial infarctions.

Conclusion
Making all U.S. workplaces smoke free would result in considerable health
and economic benefits within 1 year. Reductions in passive smoking would
account for a majority of these savings. Similar effects would

You can get to the whole article at
(It will be
posted in the www.tobaccoscam.ucsf.edu Resource Center in the next couple
days.)