Smoking Cessation Is Associated With Lower Indirect Costs

Abstract

Objective:This study quantified differences in indirect costs due to decreased work productivity between current and former smokers. Former smokers were further categorized by number of years since quitting to assess corresponding differences.Methods:Data on employed individuals were obtained from the 2013 US National Health and Wellness Survey (NHWS; N = 75,000). Indirect costs were calculated for current smokers and former smokers from weekly wages based on age and sex.Results:The annual total indirect costs for current smokers were $1327.53, $1560.18, and $1839.87 higher than for those who quit 0 to 4 years, 5 to 10 years, and more than or equal to 11 years prior, respectively. There were no significant differences in mean total indirect costs between the former smoker groups.Conclusions:Current smokers showed significantly higher total annual indirect costs compared with former smokers, independently of the number of years since quitting smoking.

Gender Differences in Labour Losses Associated with Smoking-Related Mortality

“…The two previous studies were published more than a decade ago, so new evidence, such as that produced in this paper, was needed. Other literature on economic costs and productivity losses have been found in the literature, but none of those studies calculated the impact of labour losses, using deaths averted and YPPLLs [6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14]. Our results show that men continue to account for the greatest burden of premature deaths, YPPLLs and labour losses associated with smoking.…”

“…Some studies have quantified the economic cost that smoking imposes on society [6,7,8,9,10,11]. In fact, some of these papers have measured the economic impact of smoking reduction [11,12], or productivity losses caused by smoking [7,8,9,13] or both at the same time [6,10,14]. All papers concluded that investment in tobacco cessation interventions have led to reductions in smoking prevalence, savings in both healthcare and productivity costs as well as reductions in a high number of related diseases in the population.…”

“…Healthcare costs associated with diseases are a relevant indicator for measuring the impact of the tobacco epidemic. However, these costs are neither the only nor the most significant category of costs [7,8,9,13]. A report on damage caused by smoking in the EU27 found that the monetised cost of premature mortality, at standard value of statistical life (VSL) prices, amounted to 4.40% of total gross domestic product in the region.…”

“…In consequence, several laws and regulations have been passed over the last 10 years, most remarkably a total smoking ban in public places in 2010, with the aim of increasing the life expectancy and improving the quality of life of the non-smoking population. There are limited studies on morbidity and mortality and healthcare costs associated with smoking in Spain, although the scientific community acknowledge that it is the public health problem that causes the highest avoidable social costs [8,9]. However, these studies have concentrated mainly on calculating healthcare cost and on excess sick leave among smokers, but less on estimating economic losses associated with premature deaths related to tobacco use.…”

A Provider - Patient Relationship: The Critical First Step of Smoking Cessation

“…1 In addition, cigarette smoking continues to be associated with substantial declines in health-related quality of life and financial and societal burden, including increased medical expenditures and decreased productivity. 3 One direct consequence of the 1964 Surgeon General's report was that the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) began tracking rates of cigarette smoking. 1 In this issue of JGIM, Huo and colleagues use NHIS data to provide insights about patient-provider discussions related to smoking cessation from 2011 to 2015, a time period during which guidelines recommending screening for lung cancer among heavy smokers were first introduced.…”