Smoking out the economics of tobacco use
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* W. R. Harris

I read with interest the editor's preface on global tobacco use in a recent issue of CMAJ. [1] Whenever I see figures like these I can't help wondering what would happen if all smokers miraculously quit overnight. Presumably they would live longer, healthier lives. But what would be the cost of their health care as they fade into senility? Greater, less than or the same as the $14.5 billion you quoted as the maximum amount to look after smoking-related illnesses?

Finally, where did you get the statistics you quoted? Are there comparable figures for ordinary age-related morbidity?

W.R. Harris, MD

Toronto, Ont.

## References

1.  1. Editor's preface. CMAJ1999;160(11):1537.
    
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