Related Experiment Videos
[Smoking-attributable productivity loss in Germany--a partial sickness cost study based on the human capital
1Lehrstuhl für Allgemeine Betriebswirtschaftslehre und Gesundheitsmanagement, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt Universität Greifswald. chwegner@uni-greifswald.de
Gesundheitswesen (Bundesverband Der Arzte Des Offentlichen Gesundheitsdienstes (Germany))
|August 18, 2004
Summary
Smoking caused significant productivity losses in Germany in 1999, costing billions of euros. This highlights the economic impact of smoking-related illnesses and deaths, emphasizing the need for effective anti-smoking strategies.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Health Economics
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Smoking remains a significant public health concern globally.
- Quantifying the economic burden of smoking is crucial for policy development.
- Previous estimates of smoking-related productivity loss in Germany were limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the costs of productivity loss attributable to smoking in the Federal Republic of Germany in 1999.
- To assess the economic impact of smoking-induced morbidity and mortality.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a 0.5% sample of German population smoking behavior (microcensus 1999).
- Applied relative mortality risks from a US-American cancer prevention study.
- Calculated productivity loss using the human potential capital method, considering cancer, cardiovascular, respiratory diseases, and infant mortality.
Main Results:
- Total productivity loss amounted to 607,393 working years in 1999.
- Estimated economic costs reached 14.480 billion euro, including premature mortality, permanent disablement, and temporary incapacitation.
- Productivity loss represented 0.74% of Germany's Gross National Product (GNP), equating to 379 euro per smoker.
Conclusions:
- Smoking incurs substantial economic productivity losses in Germany.
- Findings support targeted anti-smoking interventions and cost-effectiveness studies.
- The human potential capital method may overestimate actual losses; friction cost method recommended for future studies.