Smoke-free Week ‘most cost-effective’

Press, 8 July 1986, Page 9

Smoke-free Week ‘most cost-effective’

PA Wellington The Great New Zealand Smoke-free Week was probably one of the most cost-effective health exercises, according to Dr Murray Laugesen. The Health Department promotions officer said yesterday that if 50,000 of the 102,000 people who stopped smoking during Smoke-free Week, stayed off cigarettes, it would have cost the department only $lO a head. The department gave $500,000 to the smokefree week.

That $lO per person was “very, very cheap,”

said Dr Laugesen. He believed it was likely that more than 50,000 people would give up smoking permanently. Every person who gave up would live about an extra five years, he said. Dr Laugesen said the Health Department’s investment in the Smokefree Week was very good, and he could think of no better.

“If you compare that with building median strips on the motorways or anything in health promotion, it is impossible to think of anything which would yield such good

results.” Dr Laugesen said he could not comment on whether the department would finance another Smoke-free Week, or to what extent.

"We would have to look at it according to the financial situation at the time, but if the results of this week are any indication, the Smoke-free Week people already hav,e made us a very strong case. “I am absolutely delighted (with the week) and we send congratulations to all those . who have given up smoking and are hanging in there.”