Smoking Vouchers

November 17, 2009

FOR SOME, QUITTING SMOKING TAKES MORE THAN WILLPOWER. NOW A UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA STUDY SHOWS THAT COLD HARD CASH CAN HELP. RESEARCHERS START BY SENDING SMOKERS A SMALL CARBON MONOXIDE MONITOR THEY MUST USE TWICE A DAY FOR SIX WEEKS.

Jesse Dallery/UF psychology researcher: “Basically what they’re doing is leaving a carbon monoxide sample and we can see them leaving it through a web camera, and based on whether they’re positive or negative, they have to meet a cut point for abstinence, they receive immediate feedback, immediate positive feedback, and some also receive a tangible monetary incentive for meeting their goals.”

THE MORE CONSECUTIVE DAYS WITHOUT SMOKING, THE MORE MONEY PARTICIPANTS GET, UP TO 168 DOLLARS FOR THE LENGTH OF THE STUDY. NEARLY TWO OUT OF THREE PEOPLE WHO STOPPED SMOKING FOR THE STUDY, NEVER STARTED AGAIN DURING THE SIX WEEKS.

Jesse Dallery/UF psychology researcher: “They really like the intervention, they like using the internet based system, they like to see immediate progress, immediate feedback for cessation, so they really seem to enjoy it.”

EXPERTS ARE HOPING TO LAUNCH THE PROGRAM NATIONWIDE SOON TO HELP THOSE MAKING A NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION TO STOP SMOKING, QUIT FOR GOOD.