Cigarette tax increase and media campaign cost of reducing smoking-related deaths.
BACKGROUND
Tobacco use results in 500,000 premature deaths annually. Most smokers begin using tobacco before age 21, so the greatest impact on preventing smoking-related mortality is likely to come from campaigns targeting youths. This study estimates the cost-effectiveness of an anti-smoking media campaign and dollar 1 per pack increase in cigarette taxes on the lifetime decrease in smoking-attributable mortality among the cohort of all 18-year-olds in the United States during the year 2000.


METHODS
Cost-effectiveness analysis conducted from a societal perspective.


RESULTS
The combined effects of a media campaign and dollar 1 per pack tax increase will result in a societal savings of between dollar 590,000 per life-year saved, at a 3% discount rate and dollar 1.4 million per life year saved, at a 7% discount rate.


CONCLUSIONS
A media campaign and $1 per pack cigarette tax increase will reduce overall smoking prevalence, significantly decrease smoking-attributable mortality, and decrease net societal costs.
Fishman
Paul A
PA
Center for Health Studies, Group Health Cooperative of Puget Sound, Seattle, Washington 98101, USA. fishman.p@ghc.org
Ebel
Beth E
BE
Garrison
Michelle M
MM
Christakis
Dimitri A
DA
Wiehe
Sarah E
SE
Rivara
Frederick P
FP
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008402:Mass Media; D008875:Middle Aged; D009026:Mortality; D012907:Smoking / Q000191:economics* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality; D013660:Taxes / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology