Written question asked by Lord Grayling (Conservative) on Friday, 12 September 2003, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 6 October 2003. It was answered by Melanie Johnson (Labour) on Monday, 6 October 2003 on behalf of the Department of Health.

Dept of Health

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much it costs per smoker for the NHS to assist someone to give up smoking. - Includes figures.

Answer: Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much it costs per smoker for the NHS to assist someone to give up smoking. [130169] Miss Melanie Johnson: Data collected from the NHS stop smoking services and published in the Department's Statistical Bulletin--Statistics on smoking cessation services in England, April 2001 to March 2002, tables 8 & 9--show the average cost for the national health service to assist someone to give up smoking in 2001-02 was around £210 (based on self report). Costs including nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) or bupropion (Zyban) are not centrally collected. The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidance on the use of NRT and bupropion for smoking cessation, published in March 2002, estimated the cost of life year gained for a smoker using either NRT or bupropion in addition to brief advice would be not more than £1,000. NICE guidance advised that both NRT and bupropion were considered to be among the most cost effective of all healthcare interventions.

Secondary information