Other crop programmes supported by the World Bank and other development agencies could provide the same skills and technology without these harms. The tobacco companies never talk about the great economic costs that tobacco inflicts upon governments, upon business and industry, upon individuals and their families, and upon the environment. The Costs to Government Where governments provide medical care, smoking-related illness results in added medical care costs. While some land used to grow tobacco is unsuitable for other crops, tobacco usurps the place of food crops that could feed an estimated 10-20 million people. This may lead to the government having to bear the higher costs of imported food.
Cigarettes cause at least one-quarter of all fires.
The government must therefore pay more for fire-fighting services. Government must pay more for maintaining the cleanliness of government buildings and public areas littered with cigarette butts, discarded packages, matchboxes and matches. New workers have to be trained to replace them. Smoking workers cause more accidents and fires than non-smokers. Employers who provide health care, or health and life insurance for their workers, must now or soon pay higher insurance rates.