The Burden of Tobacco Use in Ontario

Tobacco use poses a significant economic burden to the people of Ontario, both in terms of direct costs such as health care, and indirect costs related to productivity losses resulting from disability and premature death. Recently, the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse (CCSA), in partnership with various provincial and federal organizations, released a report The Costs of Substance Abuse in Canada 2002 which provides estimates of morbidity, mortality and economic costs attributable to the use of tobacco, alcohol and illegal drugs in Canada. This Update highlights those estimates that are attributable to tobacco use in Ontario.