werner@aecom.UUCP (Craig Werner) (11/21/85)
> You guys have the wrong approach. Don't you realize that every person > who smokes saves the government about $35,000 (or so I read in > Scientific American). Seems medical costs are more than offset by the > decreased social security payments. (:} > > Hang in there guys, you'll pay off the national debt yet! That's true if one only considers Medicare (-CARE) Unfortunately, last this doesn't take into account Smoking-related disability paid for by MediCAID -- which last year accounted for $7Billion. Then there is the lost income (and hence income tax) due to increased sick days from all sources, which according to the Congressional Budget Office amounted to a minimum of $10Billion additional. And that buys a lot of MX missiles. -- Craig Werner !philabs!aecom!werner "Never go to a doctor whose office plants have died."