Background: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the cost of quit smoking program and willingness to smoking cessation.
Methods: Subjects of the study were people who lived in a town in Fukuoka prefecture and aged 20 to 79. In the first survey, we randomly selected 5,000 people, which were 25% of adult populations, according to sex and age ratio. We mailed a questionnaire in which ask smoking status and recruit smokers who can participate in the second survey to the people. In the second survey, we analyzed the willingness to smoking cessation in given hypothetical conditions. The conditions included cost, prices of cigarettes, and methods of financial aid. Participants’ profiles were also investigated.
Results: In the first survey, 1,082 questionnaires were returned (response rate 22%). Of these, we mailed to 103 smokers who had the willingness to participate in the second questionnaire. Seventy-one questionnaires were returned. Mean age of responders were 53 years. Eighty-two percent were male. The percentage of smokers who had the willingness to smoking cessation in all given hypothetical conditions in middle nicotine dependence was lowest. On the other hand, the percentage of smokers who never had the willingness to smoking cessation in all given hypothetical conditions in low nicotine dependence was lowest. As the cost of smoking cessation program decreased, the percentage of smokers who were willing to quit smoking increased gradually. The significance ratio of cost of smoking cessation program was 39, whereas that of prices of cigarette was 48.
Conclusion: The effect of financial aid for smoking cessation program may be limited.

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