Smoking Is Responsible For An Increasing Number Of Deaths...

Introduction Smoking is responsible for an increasing number of deaths worldwide. OECD (2013) indicates that tobacco is a major risk factor for a leading cause of the premature mortality, as it increases the risk of heart attack, stroke, lung cancer, mouth cancer, and pancreatic cancer. Compared to other OECD countries Canada’s smoking rate is low. In 2013, 16.30% of Canada’s total population was found to partake in smoking, where the average of OECD countries smoking rate was 21.13%. However, many Canadians are unaware of the significant link between second-hand smoke and the increased risk in death. In the study of â€Å"Second-hand smoke and cancer† by Canadian Partnership against Cancer (2012), more than 1,100 deaths among non-smokers are†¦show more content†¦Canada must take steps to further reduce nonsmokers’ exposure to second-hand smoke and smokers’ smoking-related illnesses. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the link between smoking and the current health care system in Canada and to introduce current smoking policies in Ontario in order to evaluate whether the regulations are effectively reducing the negative effects of smoking in public. Smoking and Health Care System Smoking imposes a substantial burden on the health care system. Because smoking is a major risk factor for diseases, health care institutions spend tremendous amounts of costs to care for smokers and their diseases. Previous studies in regards to the topic of smoking and health care system in Canada indicated that the health care use and medical expenses of both current and former smokers are higher than those for non-smokers. Many studies provide evidence that smoking imposes a substantial cost on the health care system. In the study of Disparities in Health Care Utilization by Smoking Status in Canada, Sunday Azagba et al. (2013) indicated that in developed countries, smoking-attributable health care costs account for up to 15 percen t of all annual health care cost. Additionally, the average annual smoking-attributable economic loss in the US economy is estimated to be $96 billion in health care expenditures and an additional $10 billion in