The study found that smokers occupy one-third of the province's hospital beds. (CBC)

A study commissioned by the Quebec Coalition for Tobacco Control suggests that smokers are taking up beds and costing the Quebec health-care system millions a year.

Researchers found that those who smoke, or used to smoke heavily, occupy 32.6 per cent of hospital beds in the province. The report concludes that caring for smokers in hospital costs Quebec's health-care system $930 million a year.

"[Quebec is] certainly lagging behind other provinces, and behind ... measures taken by the United States [when it comes to efforts to curb smoking]," said Pierre-Yves Crémieux, a University of Quebec in Montreal economics professor and one of the study's co-authors.

Crémieux said Quebec is behind despite recent efforts to regulate and reduce smoking.

Dr. Gaston Ostiguy, a physician at the Montreal Chest Institute, said most of the patients he sees started smoking a long time ago.

"What we see at the moment, is that we are facing the hard-core smokers," said Ostiguy, who tells four people a day that they have lung cancer.

Ostiguy said he hoped the study would force the province to do more to discourage young people from picking up smoking.

Ministry responds to study

While provincial health officials are not promising any immediate changes in light of the study, the ministry acknowledged that tobacco-related illnesses are taking their toll on the system.

The Health Ministry is preparing to file a multibillion-dollar class-action lawsuit against the tobacco industry to recuperate some of its losses.

Officials are also looking into stronger anti-smoking legislation in the fall, including banning smoking in cars when children are around.