title: [Health related costs of smoking from the viewpoint of the Health Insurance Fund in Hungary].
abstract: In recent times, the topic of smoking has been extensively debated in Hungary. A new Act has been issued for the protection of non-smokers and for the regulation of tobacco product distribution.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the authors was to examine the economic burden of smoking on the society.
  
  
  METHODS
  According to wildly accepted estimates, 30% of the Hungarian population smokes. Smoking leads to the development of several diseases, for example, it is responsible for 90% of lung cancer cases.
  
  
  RESULTS
  17.2% of the curative-preventive costs and 15% of the pharmaceutic costs are estimated to be spent on the health damages caused by smoking. In 2009, the Health Insurance Fund had to spend approximately 174.6 billion HUF for health damages including sick leave costs caused by smoking. Working days lost (patients on sick list) as a consequence of smoking decreased the GDP of Hungary by around 95 billion HUF in the same year. Literature suggests that smoking leads to a loss of approximately seven life years. Shortened life span might cause 594.9 billion HUF loss to the Hungarian economy not to mention the economical and emotional loss of the individual families.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The authors estimated a total of 864.4 billion HUF loss to the Hungarian economy due to smoking.
authors.affiliation: Országos Egészségbiztosítási Pénztár Budapest Forint u. gresz@hu.inter.net
authors.forename: Miklós
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gresz
authors.forename: Júlia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nagy
authors.forename: Petra
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Freyler
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000191:economics* / Q000453:epidemiology; D016527:Drug Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004651:Employment; D005380:Financing, Government / Q000191:economics*; D017048:Health Care Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005102:Health Expenditures / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D006814:Hungary; D007348:Insurance, Health / Q000191:economics*; D008017:Life Expectancy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000191:economics* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D017678:Sex Distribution; D018582:Sick Leave; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000191:economics* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality