How much does smoking cost?
According to an estimate that is now about ten years old, active smoking alone (i.e., the use of inhaled tobacco products, excluding other tobacco products and nicotine products as well as passive smoking) costs approximately 3.9 billion francs annually in Switzerland, of which 3 billion are directly related to healthcare costs, plus an additional 0.9 billion for indirect costs resulting from lost economic productivity. Thus, smoking would account for about half of the total costs (direct and indirect) associated with problems related to the use of tobacco (by inhalation), alcohol, and illegal substances. This 3.9 billion francs does not include environmental damage caused by discarded cigarette butts or nicotine pouches.
Who pays?
The costs of smoking are borne by:
- social insurance (primarily mandatory health insurance, that is, our health insurance premiums);
- the government (primarily the cantons, but also the municipalities);
- companies.
Good to Know
Smoking contributes to higher costs borne by social insurance programs. People with noncommunicable diseases (such as cancer and cardiovascular disease), particularly those caused by smoking, make greater use of medical services than the average person. Their quality of life is diminished as a result, sometimes to the point of being unable to work.