Areas for further research

• Comprehensive economic assessments of smoking cessation interventions should be conducted globally, especially in low- and middle-income countries.
• Assessing price and income elasticities of demand for cessation services as well as their cost-effectiveness are important as it build the case for public health interventions. The evidence base should also be extended to developing countries where economic data are sparse or non-existent.
• The question of access to cessation services should be explored from various perspectives (public health agency, societal, and provider) to elicit its effect on demand for and use of smoking cessation services and products.
• Ascertain whether the training and use of paraprofessionals in low- and middle- income countries as counselors (as opposed to doctors) is both effective and feasible in helping smokers quit.
• Determine whether intervention effectiveness, costs and cost-effectiveness vary by frequency and intensity of tobacco use.
• Determine the relationship between higher nicotine dependence and price sensitivity.
• Determine the relationship between higher nicotine dependence and successful cessation.
• Determine whether the cost-effectiveness of the least resource-intensive smoking cessation interventions varies depending on socio-economic status.
• Study the peer and family effects on the demand for smoking cessation among young smokers.
• Determine the effect of regulation of NRT and non-NRT products on innovation in the treatment of nicotine dependence.
• Determine the relative cost-effectiveness of over-the-counter (OTC) NRT versus prescription NRT with counseling.
• The distribution and mode of availability of NRT products should be analyzed to ascertain impacts on who tries to quit, how often and on success rates.
• Determine the characteristics of those smokers for whom extending the duration of pharmacotherapy may promote achievement of abstinence and prevention of relapse.
• Determine whether wider availability of NRT promotes nicotine addiction among children and others not using tobacco products.