Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education

This study evaluates the quality of economic evaluations of interventions to reduce tobacco consumption. First, the general characteristics of the studies are described, then the quality of epidemiological characteristics are analyzed. The analysis finds that the quality of many aspects of several of the studies leave much to be desired. However, the studies do consistently conclude that stop-smoking interventions are cost-effective, and this conclusion is robust when sensitivity analyses are performed. The cost-effectiveness ratios estimated by the studies for smoking cessation interventions are much lower than most other health care treatments. The implication is that smoking cessation interventions are worthwhile.