Economic gains of transitioning towards reduced-risk products: evidence from Mexico
Journal
Discover Social Science and Health
ISSN
2731-0469
Publisher
Springer
Date Issued
2024
Author(s)
Espinosa Herrera, Alejandro
Type
text::journal::journal article
Abstract
Unhealthy behaviors such as poor diet and tobacco use contribute to disease burden and escalating healthcare costs. This paper evaluates potential savings from people adopting reduced risk behaviors in Mexico. Using the Preventable Risk Integrated Model, we compare actual consumption in 2016 (baseline) to optimal intake following WHO guidelines (counterfactual) for salt, fiber, fruit/vegetables, and fat to estimate reductions in coronary, cerebrovascular, cancer, diabetes and hypertensive diseases. We also model 50% of smokers switching to e-cigarettes/heated tobacco with 65–97% lower disease risk. Results indicate over 650,000 preventable cases annually, mostly from diet changes (fruits/vegetables, fat, salt). Healthcare cost savings reach $3.4 billion USD; $2.8 billion from nutrition and $0.3 billion from smoking substitution. Fruit/vegetable intake and reduced fat confer over $1 billion savings each. Salt and fiber also contribute significantly. Adding smoking transitions provides further savings. Shifting Mexicans towards healthier diets and alternative nicotine products could substantially lower disease burden and healthcare costs. These findings underscore the economic imperative of promoting reduced-risk behaviors through public health policies. © 2024 Springer Nature
License
Acceso Abierto
How to cite
Espinosa Herrera, A. (2024). Economic gains of transitioning towards reduced-risk products: evidence from Mexico. In Discover Social Science and Health (Vol. 4, Issue 1). Springer Science and Business Media LLC. https://doi.org/10.1007/s44155-024-00079-z