United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 2003-07-17 monographic deposited born digital 21 p. GA 1.13:GAO-03-942R https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-03-942R P0b002ee18039cf43 f:d03942r DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-24 GAOREPORTS-GAO-03-942R machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-GAO-03-942R GAO-03-942R Cancer Cancer research Data collection Health hazards Health surveys Medical research Public health research Smoking Data integrity Correspondence A07595 Despite a recent decline in the population that smokes, smoking is considered the leading cause of preventable death in this country. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), over 2 million deaths in the 5-year period from 1995 through 1999 were attributable to cigarette smoking. CDC, part of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), is a primary source of information on the health consequences of smoking tobacco. CDC reported its most recent estimates of selected health consequences of cigarette smoking in an April 2002 issue of its publication Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. CDC reported that, on average, over 440,000 deaths, 5.6 million years of potential life lost, $82 billion in mortality-related productivity losses, and $76 billion in medical expenditures were attributable to cigarette smoking each year from 1995 through 1999. CDC and others tasked with making such estimates face challenges. They build estimates on a set of assumptions and make choices about the data sources and methods used, each of which may have limitations that must be weighed against its advantages. Policymakers at both the state and federal levels have relied on estimates like these in considering bans on smoking in public places, taxes on cigarettes, litigation to recoup medical expenditures, and other matters concerning tobacco. Thus it is essential that the estimates CDC provides are sound and that their limitations are clear. In recognition of this, Congress asked us to review CDC's April 2002 report and determine whether its estimates of selected health consequences of cigarette smoking were reasonable. Specifically, we examined CDC's estimates of (1) deaths and years of potential life lost and (2) mortality-related productivity losses and medical expenditures attributable to cigarette smoking. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-03-942R/html/GAOREPORTS-GAO-03-942R.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-03-942R/pdf/GAOREPORTS-GAO-03-942R.pdf GAO-03-942R https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-03-942R Correspondence GAO-03-942R; CDC's April 2002 Report On Smoking: Estimates of Selected Health Consequences of Cigarette Smoking Were Reasonable; Cancer Cancer research Data collection Health hazards Health surveys Medical research Public health research Smoking Data integrity