Smokers burden on Northland health system

Northland cigarette smokers are dying at a rate of almost one a day and costing the region's health authority $9.2 million every year.

Smoking-related costs soak up 4.1 per cent of the Northland District Health Board's $223 million income for the 2003-04 financial year, or enough to perform about 736 hip operations.

The amount is what it costs to treat people with smoking-related illnesses or disease.

As well, smoking is estimated to lead to 3537 people being admitted to hospital in Northland every year and to cause 358 deaths annually in the region.