Patients suffering from smoking-related diseases spent about 143 billion won ($130 million) on treatment in 2014, according to data.

The Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service said Monday that 283,000 patients underwent medical treatment for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, psychiatric and behavior disorder, and Buerger’s disease. These are related to habitual smoking, experts said.

The number of such patients reduced by 8,000, 2.9 percent, from 2010, but the medical costs increased by 19.4 billion won, up 15.7 percent over four years.

Among the patients, those aged 50 and above made up the largest percentage, followed by those in their 70s and those in their 60s. Those in their 50s constituted nearly 90 percent of the total patients.

By disease, 276,000 patients suffered from COPD while 5,500 and 2,200 patients suffered from Buerger’s disease and behavior disorder, respectively, last year.

Those who received treatment for mental or behavior disorder reached around 200 and 300 on average monthly, but the number surged to 542 in December last year, a month before the government increased the price of cigarettes.