Paying for someone else’s cigarette!
A cigarette may cost only a few taka at the corner shop, but its real bill can stretch far beyond the smoker’s pocket. It appears in hospital wards, family budgets, workplaces, homes and even the air breathed by people who have never smoked.
Tobacco costs far more than the price of a single cigarette. The hidden economic and health burden falls on everyone from patients in public hospitals to families, employers, children and future generations. A cigarette's true cost reaches far beyond the smoker's pocket, appearing in hospital wards, workplaces and homes. Tobacco kills over eight million people annually worldwide, and generates losses exceeding US$1.4 trillion each year through healthcare spending and lost productivity.
In Bangladesh, the economic and environmental impact of tobacco in 2024–25 is estimated at Tk87,000 crore, more than twice the government's tobacco tax revenue. Smoking-related illnesses send patients to public hospitals, and part of the cost is borne by the health system and ultimately the public. Employers lose working days and productivity when workers fall ill.
Families may face treatment bills and lose income when a breadwinner is unable to work. Smoke does not remain confined to the person smoking; it enters shared spaces, affecting children who are particularly vulnerable to breathing problems, ear infections and other health issues. Smoke can also leave harmful residue on curtains, carpets, furniture and car seats long after the cigarette has been put out.
Discarded cigarette ends are among the most common forms of litter, while tobacco production consumes natural resources and contributes to pollution. Furthermore, smoking-related fires can cause injury, property loss and emergency service expenses. Therefore, tobacco should not be viewed merely as a personal choice. Its consequences become everyone's concern when they are passed on to children, neighbours, colleagues, taxpayers and future generations.
The solution does not require punishment. Instead, higher tobacco taxes can better reflect the wider damage, stronger smoke-free rules can protect shared spaces, and accessible support can make quitting easier. Employers and health services can also view quitting smoking as an investment rather than an afterthought. Until the hidden cost of smoking is recognized, non-smokers will continue to pay for smoke they never chose, and those costs will compete with funds needed for a healthier life.
Uttam Kumar Dey, a medical professional from Bangladesh with an MBA in Business Administration, and Ujjal Kumar Dey, an A-Level student in Dhaka interested in public health and economic policy, highlight these issues.
Written by urgent.news from Daily Star BD Health's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
