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Can Monetary Rewards Help Quit Smoking? Smoking is bad for health! This is an undeniable statement. Numerous studies have shown that smoking can cause lung cancer, vascular stenosis, heart disease, erectile dysfunction, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and even lead to birth defects. In fact, smoking has been cited as one of the biggest causes of premature death in industrialized countries. In the United States, some 500,000 deaths per year are attributed to smoking-related diseases. A recent study also estimated that about one-third of China's male population will have significantly shortened their life spans because of smoking. Meanwhile, other studies also indicated that the smokers in the United States could simply cost the economy US$97.6 billion a year in lost productivity, and an additional US$96.7 billion on public and private health care combined. Despite the continual effort by authorities around the world, the number of smokers does not seem to be decreasing. Smokers appear to ignore the health hazards that smoking would bring. So, what went wrong and is there an effective way to persuade smokers to quit? The finding of a recent study appears to offer an alternative way to assist smokers quit.
A study that incorporated an experiment with hundreds of General Electric (GE) employees reported in 2009 that offering sufficient monetary rewards to smokers who want to quit helps more succeed. Researchers monitored the progress of 2 groups, namely incentive and comparison unpaid group, with similar numbers of people using aids like nicotine patches and the drug Zyban that reduces irritability and depression. After 9 to 12 months, it was found that about 15 percent of those who were paid had stayed away from smoking, compared to just 5 percent of the unpaid group. Moreover, 4 times as many people getting cash completed a smoking cessation program. The incentive group was able to receive increasingly higher payments the longer they stayed away from smoking, up to a total of US$750 after 12 months. The study, started in 2005, was carried out by the Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion, Philadelphia Veterans Affairs Medical Center, in the University of Pennsylvania, and researchers from other parts of the United States. Their findings were published in the February 12, 2009 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. In the past, there were several similar studies failed to get higher quit rates using financial bonuses because these studies either involved too few people or offered too low the financial incentives, some as low as US$10. One thing to note is that not all participants in the study regarded cash bonuses as crucial. For instance, one guy who smoked for roughly 30 years insisted other factors were more important than the US$750. He completed the 12-week smoking cessation course, using Commit lozenges and his own motivation because he has 5 young grandchildren and he wants to enjoy with them. The researchers of the study argued that the kind of reward system provides the participants with direct, positive feedback instantly and not just delayed intangible health benefit. Paying people for healthy behavior has been controversial. However, some health experts felt that the GE study was more ‘real-world’ than the tests run by drug companies to get their anti-smoking products approved. The study volunteers could also decide what classes to attend and which products to use, without any tight control and constant calls from nurses checking on them. GE has planned to offer an incentive program nationwide next year (2010), aiming to reduce the company’s estimated US$50 million annually in extra health and other costs for smoking employees. GE expects the costs of the smoking cessation program can be recouped in 3 to 5 years.
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