Tobacco company claims that smokers help the economy

Smokers are doing their country a huge favour by boosting tax revenue, dying early, and not drawing a pension, according to a report by the tobacco giant Philip Morris.

Officials in the Czech Republic have been given an analysis, commissioned by the cigarette manufacturer, which suggests that the economic benefits of smoking to the country far outweigh the harmful effects. Rather than being a drain on healthcare resources, smoking actually saves the country more than £100m ($140m) …