Abstract
It is a well-documented fact that tobacco use is bad for one's health, often resulting in disabling disease and premature death. Likewise, environmental or second-hand smoke has been found to have a negative impact on exposed persons, with young children being the most vulnerable. But it is not such a well-known fact that smoking causes considerable economic loss through rising health costs and loss of productivity. According to Dr.Prabhat Jha, Health Specialist at the World Bank, "Tobacco use causes profound economic losses which should be controlled efficiently and cost-effectively." Tobacco use is rising in many developing countries. Tobacco-related deaths, currently at 3 million annually, are expected to increase to 10 million in less than three decades, with 70 percent occurring in developing countries-a total which will exceed all fatalities from HIV infection, malaria, tuberculosis, and maternal complications combined. This paper is an attempt to review existing literature, reports and other sources on the economic impact of tobacco consumption on society and from this review conduct analysis and discussion for designing appropriate measures.
