The economics of quitting: estimating the uplift potential of Indian households through tobacco cessation

BACKGROUND: Tobacco use imposes significant economic burden, particularly in low and middle-income countries, diverting household income from essential needs. This study estimates the potential economic uplift of Indian households through tobacco cessation, informing tobacco control and poverty alleviation policies aligned with SDG 1 (No Poverty) and SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being). METHODS: We analysed data from the National Sample Survey 2022-23 Household Consumption Expenditure Survey covering 261 746 households. Households were classified into quintiles based on monthly per capita consumption expenditure (MPCE). Economic uplift was estimated by adding household tobacco expenditure back to total consumption, assuming increased financial capacity post-cessation, with separate analyses for rural and urban households. RESULTS: Tobacco cessation could uplift 20.49 million households (10.6%) to higher economic classes, with greater impact in rural areas (11.64%; 17 million) against urban regions (7.26%; 3.5 million). Among the poorest households, 12.4% (5.62 million) could improve their economic status, enabling spending on essential needs. Middle-income households demonstrate substantial upward mobility potential (16.8%; 7.1 million). CONCLUSION: These findings demonstrate the direct economic benefits of tobacco cessation, emphasising the need to integrate tobacco control with poverty reduction strategies through enhanced taxation, cessation support programmes and awareness campaigns targeting both health and financial benefits.