Two recent stories about smokers have caught my eye. One, published from the University of Pennsylvania, has found that smokers paid $750 to quit smoking are 3 times more likely to quit smoking and be smoke free a year later as their unpaid counterparts. As MSNBC reports, the study implemented at the General Electric corporation had such dramatic results that it will be implemented nationwide next year. Now, the $750 only worked on 15% of the study participants, but that is still expected to result in a significant amount of health savings for GE in overall worker health, time lost, and other externalities that result from smoking cessation.
Anything wrong with paying folks to quit smoking? Hardly seems wrong to incentivize quitting something that is harmful to human health—essentially giving people that little extra push they need to kick the habit. But the question remains: will the motivation to stay nicotine free remain once the joy of having received the $750 has passed? Well, the data suggest that these paid quitters were still smoke free after one year, so it would seem so. Plus, if payment comes with support and education, one could hardly object to the initial monetary nudge. It certainly will pay off in health benefits in the long run–not just for the company but for the individuals themselves.
So….not only will people quit smoking for money; they will also do it for their cats and dogs. New research suggests that secondhand smoke isn’t just bad for your human cohabitants but also your animal ones as well. A new survey, according to CNN.com, reports that one in three smokers would kick the habit to protect their pet. Oddly, they wouldn’t do it to protect their own health. Cats, dogs, and even birds can be hurt by the secondhand smoke from their owners, and that clearly bothers smokers—so much so that they might consider quitting.
My recommendation for a new anti-smoking campaign: You a smoker? Get a pet!
Summer Johnson, PhD