My comment is kind of glib but I recall hearing about a study in Canada decades ago that looked at this.
What they found was that smokers, on average, died early so they collected a decade or two less in pension payments. They paid tens of thousands in tobacco taxes. And when they did die, it was relatively quick and not that expensive to treat (chemotherapy). Overall, smokers were a net benefit to society.
That equation might have changed today with expensive lung cancer drugs and longer life.
What they found was that smokers, on average, died early so they collected a decade or two less in pension payments. They paid tens of thousands in tobacco taxes. And when they did die, it was relatively quick and not that expensive to treat (chemotherapy). Overall, smokers were a net benefit to society.
That equation might have changed today with expensive lung cancer drugs and longer life.