Investing Smoking Control Programs Could Pay Off 20 Fold

Recently cuts in state budgets have resulted in a shift away from funding extra programs such as anti-smoking campaigns. However, a study shows these states may be missing out on significant savings in other areas by doing so.

The San Francisco State University chair of the Economics Department Sudip Chattopadhyay said that the "sustained and steadily increasing long-run impact" of these programs is a reduction on the demand for cigarettes. The results of the study were published in Contemporary Economic Policy.

The study analyzed data from the last two decades which included state run programs primarily funded by tobacco settlement funds and increased taxes. Now taxes are being used for other state expenses. Some states also argue that if they are close to a low cigarette tax state say that residents are traveling to buy cigarettes at a lower price.

The CDC recommends that states stay the course, if they do they could realize a future savings of anywhere from 14 to 20 times the cost of the program. Chattopadhyay said that "They would save money in terms of reduced Medicaid, and reduced medical and productivity costs," he said. "Those kinds of costs are only going to go up."

Source: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/238304.php