Medical care costs attributable to cigarette smoking in Kentucky

Cigarette smoking is well documented as a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Using recently available estimates of the prevalence of cigarette smoking among adult Kentuckians, I found that approximately 4,390 men and 1,615 women died in Kentucky in 1983 of causes attributable to cigarette smoking. Furthermore, the direct medical care costs in 1983 of disease attributable to cigarette smoking were estimated to be more than +266 million. Cigarette smoking is possibly the leading single contributor to medical care costs in Kentucky, accounting for approximately 8% of such costs.