Taken together, that suggests 19 cents a pack of costs to societythat cigarette taxes aren't paying. Smokers don't live as long as nonsmokers. That, says Viscusi,means they spend less time than nonsmokers do in nursing homes. That's asaving to society equal to 23 cents a pack. Smokers don't collect pensions and Social Security for as long as nonsmokersdo, Viscusi adds.
Society does lose out, though, in tax collections.
If smokers lived longer,the additional taxes they'd pay on their income would translate to theequivalent of about 40 cents a pack. Overall, though, as Viscusi counts it, the cigarette taxes smokers pay morethan compensate the rest of us for the additional costs they impose onsociety. This is largely a result of excessive drinkingand ensuing hangovers. Based largely on socio-economic differences, ahigher proportion of smokers drink than non smokers. But it is alcohol which is primarilyresponsible.