More propaganda masquerading as research.
A new report by the University of Nottingham claims that absenteeism by smokers costs employers in Britain £1.4 billion each year.
This figure is said to be the result of smokers taking time off work due to ill health. God knows how they calculated that but never let it be said that tobacco control allows facts to get in the way of a good estimate.
I haven't seen the report (it's published tomorrow, I think) but a journalist who wanted a response from Forest tells me that it also suggests that smokers are more likely to call in sick when there is nothing wrong with them.
So, if they're not sick they're devious and dishonest.
NB. Nottingham is part of the UK Centre for Tobacco Control Studies, a network of nine UK universities working in the field of tobacco control.