Effects of smoking cost state $1 billion
Milwaukee (AP 1992)

Sickness and deaths from smoking in WI will cost more than $1 billion this year and smoking will kill an estimated 8,760 state residents, a state report says.

The study published in the November issue of the WI Medical Journal, a publication of the State Medical Society, was written by epidemiologist Patrick Remington and others based on an analysis of state data plus information from the CDC.

The report said 3,605 WI smokers would die of heart disease; 2,650 smokers of cancer and 1,660 of lung disease. Environmental tobacco smoke will kill 776 people and burns caused by fires set by smoking materials will kill 35, it said.

The study predicts 34 babies will die as the result of mothers smoking while pregnant.

"The smoking-attributable mortality from cancers, respiratory diseases, and other conditions has increased substantially during the last 7 years from 5,550 in 1985 to 7,900 deaths in 1988," the study said.

"In 1992, total costs exceeded $1 billion, with $321 million in direct costs and $715 million in indirect costs."

The increase in deaths during the last 7 years may be a result of inclusion over the years of new causes of death attributable to smoking, the report said.