Paper: Spain - cost of each pack of cigarettes up to $150..

October 9, 2010 - A new study conducted at the Polytechnic University of Cartagena found that once you factor in health-care and early-death costs of smoking, each pack of cigarettes costs up to $150. The study, published in the Spanish Journal of Public Health, used Spain's public health and labour data to crunch the numbers.

DID YOU KNOW - Smoking is the biggest killer in Spain, with 50,000 smoking-related deaths annually. Did you know - fewer than 5% of Spanish women aged 45-74 smoke compared to nearly 40% of young (25-44) women in Spain.

"Public policy plays a crucial role in the prevention of smoking and improving health of the population," the study reads. "The estimated cost of premature death per package of tobacco is a key element in the cost-effectiveness of prevention polices and tobacco control."

The study examined average lost wages, cost of health care, social costs, and the economic impacts of lost retail sales to determine the total cost of smoking per pack of cigarettes.

The study found that the average cost of a pack of cigarettes was higher for men than women, but this was largely due to a difference in average wages and a difference in the number of cigarettes an addicted smoker is likely to consume.
For men, the average pack of cigarettes costs approximately $150, while the price is roughly $106 for women.

Reference: Cigarettes cost up to $150 per pack, written by: QMI Agency, CHealth.canoe.ca, 10/8/2010..

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