Not only healthcare costs, but also national pension costs. I remember a study was done a long time ago (20 years ago) and smokers were a net contributor to the gov't coffers.

They paid a lot in cigarette taxes (even when the taxes were lower).

Those that got lung cancer didn't cost that much to treat because, well, there weren't great treatments. Lung cancer progressed fast enough that they might spend their last week in the hospital, but that was it (versus say Alzheimers where they might require a handful of years of institutional care).

They contributed to their national pension their entire life and then either died before collecting it or died less than a decade in.

Haha, that is funny and sad at the same time.