The Economic Cost of Tobacco Use in Bangladesh: A Health Cost Approach

This study followed the cost-of-illness approach to estimate the economic cost of the adverse health effects of tobacco use (Rice, Hodgson, Sinsheimer, Browner, & Kopstein, 1986). In this study, we estimated the economic cost for seven tobacco-related diseases, namely, ischemic heart disease, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), pulmonary tuberculosis, lung cancer, laryngeal cancer, and oral cancer. There is significant association between tobacco use and the prevalence of or the risk of mortality caused by these diseases.

In addition, for capturing the effects of exposure to secondhand smoke, the study considered additional health conditions such as asthma, autism, lower respiratory infection, low birth weight of the newborn, and sudden infant death syndrome among the nonsmoker residents in the smokers’ households.

To read this research, please click the download option.

Nigar Nargis, Jeffrey Drope and Gregg Haifley