In response to Dick Feagler's July 11 column, "Even non smokers must buy tobacco":

I must take issue with his economic assessment. As a chief financial officer, I understand money, so I did some calculations of my own. Feagler talks about the taxes he pays on tobacco and regards it as "his civic duty to smoke." He continues that it "bolsters the economy" and he has "built two stadiums."

But Feagler can't look at his taxes as a benefit without viewing the deficit cost to taxpayers as a whole. Our taxes have to pay to put out the fires caused by careless smokers, trash cleanup, increased insurance premiums and health-care costs due to health problems of smokers. Ohioans spend $3.4 billion every year treating tobacco-related diseases. Medicaid costs are $600 million a year. Every Ohio household pays $400 in taxes just to cover the health costs created by Ohio smokers. Feagler's column itself refers to $9.6 billion in taxes that subsidize tobacco farmers.

I'm sorry, Mr. Feagler, you may delude yourself into thinking that you are doing me a favor by smoking, but the numbers say otherwise. The cost of tobacco addiction on our society is simply too high to be taken lightly.

Gordon Hewitt,
Cleveland