Tobacco Quitline Economic Evaluation

In 2017, 17.3% of Maine adults smoked cigarettes [1]. Tobacco use can lead to illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, stroke, lung disease, and diabetes and results in about 2,390 smoking-attributable deaths in Maine each year [2]. It is estimated that 112,977 Maine adults who use cigarettes are interested in quitting [1]. Of these, approximately 50,163 used medication and/or called the Maine QuitLink in the past year [1].

Evidence-based treatment services such as Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) and/or phone counseling provided by quitlines increase the chance of successful quits by 60% [3].

Measuring the costs and economic benefits of a quitline translate its impact into objective monetary terms and help make the case for investments that support cessation services [4]. In addition, mature programs (such as the Maine QuitLink) can use the findings to explore ways to reduce costs while maintaining effectiveness [5]. In 2021, Partnerships For Health conducted a retrospective analysis from the program’s perspective.

Highlights of the findings:

• 18,911 Individuals in Maine received tobacco cessation services from the Maine QuitLink between 2015 and 2020.
• At seven months follow-up, 4,558—4,889 individuals who had received cessation services from the Maine Quitlink reported not using tobacco in the last 30 days.
• Maine QuitLink reached a higher proportion of adults who used cigarettes statewide than the national average among tobacco quitlines (Maine: 2.0% vs National average: 0.9%).
• Maine’s quit rate is lower than the national average among tobacco quitlines (Maine: 25.8% vs National average: 30.6%).

Return on investment:

• $1:$3.24 For every dollar invested in the Maine QuitLink, $2.66—$3.82 are saved in averted health costs and loss of productivity.
• $1: $25.67 For every dollar invested in the Maine QuitLink, between $24,77—$26.57 per quality-adjusted life year are saved.