Short-term dollars at what cost? Repealing New Zealand’s Smokefree Aotearoa 2025
Hefler M, Malone RE. Short-term dollars at what cost? Repealing New Zealand’s Smokefree Aotearoa 2025 plan would sacrifice lives and longer-term economic gain. Tobacco Control 2025;34:e139-e140.
“A simulation model evaluated the potential fiscal consequences of Smokefree 2025. Its projections highlight the substantial economic benefits that would result from the legislation. Citizens would see a cumulative gain in post-tax income of US$1.8 billion by 2050, resulting from reduced tobacco-related morbidity and mortality in the working-age population. They would also see a cumulative gain in disposable income of US$29 billion by 2050, due to reduced expenditure on tobacco.” These results are consistent with a large body of international research on the economic benefits of tobacco control policies.
Economic analysis above from: https://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/34/e1/e9.info
Ait Ouakrim D, Wilson T, Howe S, et al. Economic effects for citizens and the government of a country-level tobacco endgame strategy: a modelling study. Tobacco Control 2025;34:e9-e16.
Note: Research shows that health promotion programs multiply health results and save money that would otherwise have to be spent on costs for chronic disease, disability, and premature death. Stephen Hamann
