Free NRT vs. Comprehensive Smoke-Free Law: A Cost-Effective Analysis

Audience: Epidemiologists and evaluators, including any health policy specialists interested in the economic impact of investment in cessation interventions.  This poster will appeal to policymakers, too, as the investment in NRT and the implementation of a state-wide smoke-free workplace policy have been broken down into cost-effectiveness per quitter and per QALY.

Key Points: The cost-effectiveness of a free NRT program was compared with a state-wide smoke-free policy in Kentucky.  We conducted 1-year simulations of costs and benefits.  The number of individuals who quit smoking and the quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) were the measures of benefits.  After 1 year, a NRT program generated 11,115 quitters at a cost of $12,082 per quitter ($7,647 per QALY), and a smoke-free workplace policy generated 9,486 quitters at a cost of $790 per quitter ($500 per QALY).

Educational Experience: Smoke-free workplace policies are more cost-effective per new nonsmoker than free NRT programs.  Smoke-free workplace policies should be a public health priority, especially when the primary goal of policy is to promote individual smoking cessation.

Benefits: The results of our cost-effective analysis demonstrate that smoke-free workplace policies are a more cost-controlled and effective method for reducing the prevalence of smoking; however, NRT should still be recommended in clinical practice for individuals.   This analysis provides methodology for others states considering investment in comprehensive smoke-free workplace and free NRT interventions.