The cost of tobacco far outweighs the amount of tax collected according to a new report released by the Conference Board of Canada.
It estimates in 2012, tobacco use cost the economy $16.2-billion in direct and indirect expenses compared to $5-billion collected in taxes.
The estimate is based on health care costs, fire damage, tobacco control, law enforcement and lost production.
The report also claims more than 45,000 deaths a year can be attributed to smoking in 2012.
That works out to about 125 deaths a day which is more than the total number of deaths in car collisions, from accidental injuries and assaults.
