title: School-based smoking prevention: economic costs versus benefits.
abstract: The objective of this study was to conduct a cost-benefit analysis to compare the costs of developing and delivering an effective school-based smoking prevention program with the savings to be expected from reducing the prevalence of smoking in the Canadian population over time. A smoking prevention program that meets published criteria for effectiveness, implemented nationally in Canada, would cost $67 per student (1996 dollars). Assuming such a program would reduce smoking by 6% initially and 4% indefinitely, lifetime savings on health care would be $3,400 per person and on productivity, almost $14,000. The benefit-cost ratio would be 15.4 and the net savings $619 million annually. Sensitivity analyses reveal that considerable economic benefits could accrue from an effective smoking prevention program under a wide range of conditions.
authors.affiliation: Thomas Stephens, Thomas Stephens and Associates, Manotick, Ontario, K4M 1A7, Canada. tstephens@cyberus.ca
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Stephens
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Kaiserman
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: McCall
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sutherland-Brown
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002170:Canada; D002648:Child; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012572:School Health Services / Q000191:economics*; D012907:Smoking / Q000191:economics; D000074606:Smoking Prevention