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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 01-24-2013 - 5n1 ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: January 24, 2013 Action Agenda Item No. 5 -n SUBJECT: Nicotine Replacement T DEPARTMENT: Health PUBLIC HEARING: (Y /N) No ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: Colleen Bridger, 245 -2412 PURPOSE: To develop a pilot program to assess the effectiveness of providing free Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) for Orange County residents who want to quit smoking. BACKGROUND: According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (US DHHS): • Tobacco is the single greatest cause of disease and premature death in America today, and is responsible for more than 435,000 deaths annually; • About 16% of Orange County Adults report being current smokers; • Societal costs of tobacco - related death and disease approach $96 billion annually in medical expenses and $97 billion in lost productivity, or an average of $4,260 per adult smoker; • Seventy percent (70 %) of all current smokers have expressed a desire to quit; • Though tobacco dependence is a chronic disease that often requires repeated intervention and multiple attempts to quit, research shows that effective treatments for tobacco users exist and that delivering such treatments is cost - effective; and • Research also shows that supplementing counseling with Nicotine Replacement Therapy is more effective at helping smokers quit than just counseling alone. On October 24, 2012 the Orange County Board of Health adopted a Smoke -free Public Places Rule, and on November 20, 2012 the Orange County Board of Commissioners approved that Rule by Ordinance. Since many smokers want to quit and the Smoke -free Public Places Rule creates additional incentives for smokers to do so, the Health Department is developing a pilot project to assess if providing free NRT can significantly increase the number of smokers who quit in Orange County. There are approximately 15,000 adults who smoke in Orange County. If all of them wanted NRT, the cost would be approximately $1.5 million — though health care and lost productivity savings would be well over $50 million. For a five -month pilot program, however, staff is estimating that 260 Orange County residents will participate at a cost of $25,000 (based on a course of NRT given over a 4 -8 week period, up to $96 per person). This estimated cost of $96 per person is based on an aggregate of average costs from various state and local smoking cessation programs. At the end of 3 months, staff will evaluate the program to compare participation and quit rates with national averages and determine if this is a beneficial, cost - effective service to offer. If data indicates it is effective, the Health Department will request additional NRT funding through the Health Department's regular budget process to continue the program into and throughout Fiscal Year 2013 -2014. To qualify for the free NRT pilot program, a person must be a smoker participating in a smoking cessation program (NC Quitline, a local Fresh Start program or the UNC Nicotine Dependence Program), live in Orange County and be willing to share pertinent demographic information such as age, income level, and smoking status six months after finishing the program. FINANCIAL IMPACT: It is proposed that the Board appropriate $25,000 from the County's unassigned General Fund fund balance to support the five -month pilot program. RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board approve the appropriation of $25,000 from the County's unassigned General Fund fund balance to support this five -month pilot project, with the understanding that staff will evaluate results from the pilot program and determine if additional funding to support the program in FY 2013 -2014 is warranted. If approved, staff will present a budget amendment to appropriate the funds at an upcoming Board meeting.