Title: The mean willingness-to-pay for smoking cessation treatment in Malaysia

Authors: Chuah Seong Jin; Norashidah Mohamed Nor; Zaiton Samdin; Emilia Zainal Abidin

Addresses: School of Business and Economics, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Jalan Universiti 1 Serdang, 43400 Seri Kembangan, Selangor, Malaysia ' School of Business and Economics, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Jalan Universiti 1 Serdang, 43400 Seri Kembangan, Selangor, Malaysia ' School of Business and Economics, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Jalan Universiti 1 Serdang, 43400 Seri Kembangan, Selangor, Malaysia ' Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Jalan Universiti 1 Serdang, 43400 Seri Kembangan, Selangor, Malaysia

Abstract: This research aims to estimate the mean willingness-to-pay (WTP) for smoking cessation treatment among smokers in Malaysia. We analysed individual smoker's WTP based on questionnaires distributed to current smokers above 18 years of age. The mean WTP was measured using the contingent valuation method incorporating double-bounded questions and logistic regression analysis. The mean WTP (weekly) for the three proposed therapies, namely: nicotine patches, bupropion and varenicline were RM41.21, RM28.78 and RM35.74, respectively, and these values were 67.03%, 28.05%, and 45.01% lower than the current market prices for the treatments, respectively. Therefore, this study indicates that a subsidy for smoking cessation treatments is necessary and that the awareness of the available smoking cessation treatments could be raised, to increase the quit rate from smoking.

Keywords: willingness-to-pay; WTP; smoking cessation treatment; contingent valuation method; CVM; logistic regression; double-bounded; nicotine patch; bupropion; varenicline; therapy; tobacco; Malaysia.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEPEE.2023.128383

International Journal of Economic Policy in Emerging Economies, 2023 Vol.17 No.1, pp.88 - 99

Received: 30 Sep 2019
Accepted: 15 Jul 2020
Published online: 19 Jan 2023 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article