France losing money on alcohol and tobacco sales, Euronews has reported.
According to a recent report by the French Observatory for Drugs and Addictive Behaviors (OFDT), the idea that legal drugs like tobacco and alcohol benefit the government is unfounded. The report analyzed data from 2019, revealing that tobacco smoking caused over 73,000 deaths, while alcohol consumption resulted in more than 41,000 fatalities.
The "social costs" of smoking were estimated at 156 bn euros, while alcohol abuse cost the budget 102 billion euros. Addressing the "social consequences" of illegal drug use took 7.7 bn euros from the treasury.
These calculations consider the "cost of human life" in terms of lost labor productivity and the reduced quality of life for patients with tobacco and alcohol-related illnesses, as well as government expenditures on prevention and treatment. The final value was adjusted by the amount equivalent to "savings on pensions" for those who died from drug, alcohol, or tobacco use.
The report confirms that the social costs associated with drugs far exceed any tax revenue. The French government received 4 bn euros from alcohol excise taxes and 13 bn euros from tobacco, which is still less than what it spends on treating alcoholism and nicotine addiction.
Professor Pierre Copp, the report's author from the University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, stated:
"The idea that such drugs as tobacco and alcohol benefit the government is entirely unfounded."
He further emphasized that drugs lead to the impoverishment of society.
However, the report also acknowledges that the decrease in deaths related to alcohol, tobacco, and illegal drugs from 2010 to 2019 indicates that state efforts have significantly reduced consumption, improved assistance to drug addicts, and raised awareness of the dangers of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs.
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