Lawmaker champions anti-smoking efforts

Link: San Jose Mercury News - Lawmaker champions anti-smoking efforts.

One key to containing exploding medical costs, health care advocates say, is convincing more Californians to quit smoking. Smoking-related diseases cost the state nearly $9 billion a year in direct medical costs, according to California's Department of Health Services, and $7 billion from lost productivity because of illness and premature death. On Tuesday, Sen. Tom Torlakson, D-Antioch, said that greater efforts to get smokers to kick the habit must be part of any health care reform being considered in the Legislature.