OBJECTIVES:

Cigarette smoking is considered to be one of the leading cause of mortality and illness worldwide. Smoking and secondhand smoke exposure impose huge economic burdens worldwide. This study estimated the costs of smoking attributable medical expenditures from multiple diseases in Taiwan.

METHODS:

A prevalence-based approach was used to estimate smoking and secondhand smoke attributable costs. The data was obtained from 2014 National health insurance research database (NHIRD). After excluding people younger than 35, we accessed the medical expenditure attributable to smoking and secondhand smoke in 2014. The attributable disease incidence and costs were calculated by Smoking related diseases incidence and smoking attributable fraction (SAF). Smoking related diseases include cancer, diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases, digestive system diseases, and kidney disease in men as well as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and respiratory diseases in women. Secondhand smoke related diseases include lung cancer, ischaemic HD, cerebrovascular disease, asthma, cerebrovascular disease and female breast cancer.

RESULTS:

In 2014, the incidence of smoking related diseases were 1.8 million persons. The medical expenditure attributable to smoking was NTD 34.8 billion, which accounting for 6.09% of Taiwan's total medical expenditures. In addition, the medical expenditure attributable to secondhand smoke was NTD 4.8 billion, which accounting for 0.84% of Taiwan's total medical expenditures in 2014.

CONCLUSIONS:

Smoking and secondhand smoke attributable medical expenditures lead to considerable economic burden in Taiwan. Sustained tobacco control efforts to encourage people to quit smoking and protect all people from secondhand smoke exposure are needed.