Tobacco Documents Online

EVERYDAY ACTIVITIES THAT "COST SOCIETY" BILLIONS OF DOLLARS Numerous studies have been conducted to measure the "cost to society" of a variety of activities, ranging from the high risk - such as riding a motorcycle - to the everyday - such as playing softball. The following examples illustrate that virtually anything can be targeted for misapplication of the economic theory of "social costs." Thus costs borne by the individual are incorrectly portrayed as costs imposed on society. Such "findings" could be used to inspire government regulation of a wide array of activities. ./Obesity has a social cost of approximately $27 billion. %/Medical care from motorcycle accidents costs society $10 billion a year not including costs from property loss or death. VSoftball sliding injuries cost society at least $2 billion every year. .*'The social cost of spectator sports is over $4 billion in lost productivity annually. ,/Lost productivity from people participating in sports costs society more than $2 billion a year. /Recreational activities such as books, magazines, pets, clubs, etc., cost more than $100 billion per year. VThe social cost of vacationing by car is $114 billion - not includingg road repair costs. ,/Crime costs society more than $25 billion. */The social cost of luxury automobiles - not including increased gasoline consumption - is more than $108 billion per year. ./Air travel delays cost society $3.2 billion in lost time in 1986. VTraffic jams cost society approximately $3 billion in wasted gasoline annually.