Health and economic implications of a work-site smoking-cessation program: a simulation analysis.
In this article, we examine the health and economic implications of a workplace smoking-cessation program by using a simulation model that includes, among its novel features, consideration of long-term as well as short-term implications and evaluation of the effects of employee turnover on benefits derived by both the firm and the broader community. As a result of employee turnover, approximately half of the program-generated benefits are realized by the community outside the firm. Still, smoking cessation is a very sound economic investment for the firm, and is particularly profitable when long-term benefits are included, with an eventual benefit-cost ratio of 8.75. Saving life-years at a cost of $894 each, the program is more cost-effective than most of the conventional medical care covered by the firm's insurance. Nevertheless, the intervention successfully addresses only a fraction of the costs that smoking imposes on the firm.
Department of Health Management and Policy, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor 48109-2029, USA.
K E
KE
Warner
R J
RJ
Smith
D G
DG
Smith
B E
BE
Fries
D000041:Absenteeism; D000328:Adult; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D017598:Efficiency, Organizational; D005260:Female; D017048:Health Care Costs; D006302:Health Services Research; D006801:Humans; D007352:Insurance, Life; D008297:Male; D017059:Models, Econometric; D009786:Occupational Health Services / Q000191:economics*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000191:economics / Q000401:mortality; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000191:economics*