Costs to businesses
- The total cost to Australian business in 1998-99, from production losses in the paid workforce due to past and present tobacco use, was estimated over $2 billion.
- Smoking reduces productivity of the paid work-force through absenteeism. Smokers who become seriously ill require significant time off work for hospital and medical treatment. Tobacco-induced illnesses also reduce productivity on-the-job. Smoking-related absenteeism is estimated to be costing Australian businesses more than $1.5 billion per annum.
- In the longer term, tobacco use has an impact on the productivity of the paid workforce through the reduction in the size of the available workforce as a result of premature death or premature retirements.
This page last updated:
June 2006
Review date: September 2006
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