Taxes more effective than gums in stop smoking efforts
In the long term, stopping smoking is always tough, with well over 30 percent of people that stop relapsing at some time. Governments, however, may do better with taxing cigarettes than putting money into nicotine substitution programs. Article source: Patches and gums do not help smokers quit long-term
The expense of smoking
Smoking is an expensive addiction, both personally and on a societal level. U.S. government statistics say that smoking tobacco leads to $96 billion in medical costs each year, and 443,000 fatalities each year are linked to tobacco use. The new health care reform law provides additional federal funding to stop-smoking counseling and programs. In fiscal 2012, the federal government is expected to spend $456.7 million on stop-smoking programs. As of Sept.23, 2010, all insurance plans were required to offer stop-smoking programs of some sort.
Plans are not working
Nicotine replacement treatments have been shown to be ineffective ultimately, although they do help quite a bit in the short term. Previous studies show that nicotine substitution improves chances of an individual quitting for six months or more when being used appropriately. A new study published by the Harvard School of Public Health looked at 787 subjects over a long time frame. After four years, 31.6 percent of individuals relapsed, whether or not they used nicotine replacement. Government programs could not want to support these nicotine replacement programs anymore.
The very best quitting methods
Stopping smoking is, in the best of situations, very difficult. The federal government has set a goal of reducing smoking rates to 12 percent by 2020; currently about 19 percent of American adults smoke on a regular basis. The most long-term successful methods of curbing smoking have proven to be smoking bans and additional taxes on cigarettes. Making smoking more expensive and challenging does cut smoking rates, but it also takes a bite out of the tax revenue that some states have come to rely on.
Sources
Time Healthland
Wall Street Journal
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Taxes more effective than gums in stop smoking efforts
In the long term, stopping smoking is always tough, with well over 30 percent of people that stop relapsing at some time. Governments, however, may do better with taxing cigarettes than putting money into nicotine substitution programs. Article source: Patches and gums do not help smokers quit long-term
The expense of smoking
Smoking is an expensive addiction, both personally and on a societal level. U.S. government statistics say that smoking tobacco leads to $96 billion in medical costs each year, and 443,000 fatalities each year are linked to tobacco use. The new health care reform law provides additional federal funding to stop-smoking counseling and programs. In fiscal 2012, the federal government is expected to spend $456.7 million on stop-smoking programs. As of Sept.23, 2010, all insurance plans were required to offer stop-smoking programs of some sort.
Plans are not working
Nicotine replacement treatments have been shown to be ineffective ultimately, although they do help quite a bit in the short term. Previous studies show that nicotine substitution improves chances of an individual quitting for six months or more when being used appropriately. A new study published by the Harvard School of Public Health looked at 787 subjects over a long time frame. After four years, 31.6 percent of individuals relapsed, whether or not they used nicotine replacement. Government programs could not want to support these nicotine replacement programs anymore.
The very best quitting methods
Stopping smoking is, in the best of situations, very difficult. The federal government has set a goal of reducing smoking rates to 12 percent by 2020; currently about 19 percent of American adults smoke on a regular basis. The most long-term successful methods of curbing smoking have proven to be smoking bans and additional taxes on cigarettes. Making smoking more expensive and challenging does cut smoking rates, but it also takes a bite out of the tax revenue that some states have come to rely on.
Sources
Time Healthland
Wall Street Journal
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation