Objective: To calculate the absenteeism costs by lung cancer, cerebrovascular disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and acute myocardial infarction attributable to smoking in the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS) and the occupied population from 2006 to 2009.
Materials and methods: Productivity loss data from selected illnesses were obtained from IMSS records. The smoking attributable fraction was used, and extrapolation to occupied population was conducted.
Results: IMSS paid $143.9 million pesos (2009 prices) attributable to smoking between 2006 and 2009. The productivity loss was $298.2 million pesos and $437.8 million pesos in the occupied population, attributable to smoking.
Conclusions: Tobacco smoking implies costs to the individual, families and society, which urge to strengthen policies contained in the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control by the WHO.