OC08_04 Impact of New Graphic Health Warnings and Their Increased Size on Conventional and Plain Tobacco Packs: Perceptions of Asian Indians

Abstract

Introduction: Evidence from high-income countries has shown tobacco control mass media campaigns to be cost-effective in reducing tobacco consumption, but similar evidence from low-income countries is rarely reported. An evaluation of the Government of India’s 2009 smokeless tobacco campaign, titled Surgeon, which ran nationally on television and radio for 5 weeks, provided an opportunity to test its cost-effectiveness. Objectives: To determine the cost-effectiveness of mass media campaigns in low and middle-income countries, using a national anti-smokeless tobacco mass media campaign from India as an example. The cost-benefit of the Indian campaign and the health savings accrued from the campaign were calculated. Methods: Standard methods of cost-benefit analysis using a societal perspective were employed. Primary data for the analysis was obtained from a nationally representative household survey of 2,898 smokeless tobacco users that was designed to test the Surgeon campaign’s impact. Campaign costs were estimated to be US$ 1,005,000. Based on the estimated additional quit attempt among smokeless users due to the national campaign compared to status quo, the burdens of smokeless population such as health expenditure, disabled adjusted life-years (DALYs). Results: The Surgeon campaign was found to be highly cost-effective: It resulted in an estimated additional 869,436 successful smokeless quitters after 1 year with a cost per net quit at US$1.16. It was further estimated that the campaign resulted in 20,106 Disability Adjusted Life Years gained and savings from direct medical costs worth US$ 4.9 million. The savings from the total medical costs (considering caregiver cost and labor loss) was worth US$ 21.9 million. The Incremental Cost-Effectiveness Ratio (ICER) of the campaign was US$ 50 per disabled-adjusted life year, which is significantly lower than India’s 2010 GDP/Capita of US$ 1400, the World Health Report recommended benchmark for identifying cost-effective interventions. Conclusion: These findings replicate evidence from high-income countries and suggest that anti-tobacco mass media campaigns can be highly cost-effective, with significant returns on investment, in low-income countries. They are recommended even in resourcelimited settings to combat tobacco related morbidity and mortality. Disclosure of Interest: None Declared