A Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of the First Federally Funded Antismoking Campaign

Background: In 2012, CDC launched the first federally funded national mass media antismoking campaign. The Tips From Former Smokers (Tips) campaign resulted in a 12% relative increase in population-level quit attempts. Purpose: Cost-effectiveness analysis was conducted in 2013 to evaluate Tips from a funding agency's perspective. Methods: Estimates of sustained cessations; premature deaths averted; undiscounted life years (LYs) saved; and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) gained by Tips were estimated. Results: Tips saved about 179,099 QALYs and prevented 17,109 premature deaths in the U.S. With the campaign cost of roughly $48 million, Tips spent approximately $480 per quitter, $2,819 per premature death averted, $393 per LY saved, and $268 per QALY gained. Conclusions: Tips was not only successful at reducing smoking-attributable morbidity and mortality but also was a highly cost-effective mass media intervention. Published by Elsevier Inc. on behalf of American Journal of Preventive Medicine