Most studies just calculate the costs of treating a disease. This way of calculating cannot find anything else but higher costs by smoking.

Studies calculating all the positive and negative costs (dying at an age when most people are still healthy) often come to different conclusions.

government expenditure and health promotion goals often conflict so that, paradoxically, government may be best able to protect its financial health by promoting lifestyles that lead to reduced longevity.
is how Australian doctors have described this paradox which is often not understood.

Wolfgang