Show Me The Money...

it clearly pays employers to fund smoking cessation programs

It is incredible how people value money over and above their health. A new study done on almost 900 workers at General Electric in different areas of America saw that people were 3 times more likely to quit smoking for a minimum of 6 months if they were given rewards of up to $750. The research which was carried out with the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine is fascinating because it seems ridiculous that people would value a mere $750 more than their wellbeing especially in view of the fact that smoking was likely to cost them that much more money yearly in health bills.

The study worked like this… Firstly every one of the employees participating in the study were given detailed information about different smoking cessation methods and programs. Fifty percent of the participants were given $100 for completing one of the smoking cessation programs, $250 for actually giving up smoking and a further $400 if they could prove that they had not had a cigarette for a minimum of six months and this was confirmed by having either a saliva or urine test.

The cash incentive of $100 meant that three times more people signed up to the smoking cessation courses. Fifteen percent of those who got the initial $100 were non smokers six months later whereas only five percent of those who signed up for smoking cessation classes but got no rewards for doing so were still non smokers at the end of the six months.

Dr. Kevin Volpp speaking on behalf of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine said that provided these smoking cessation programs were well designed and properly organised they could be extremely effective with a very minimal reward budget.

Another study seen by Ukmedix News shows that somebody who quits smoking is worth as much as $3,400 dollars extra a year to the company they work for due to increased productivity and by reducing the chances of getting ill. If this is the case then it clearly pays employers to fund smoking cessation programs which give cash rewards for quitting.

The study was published in the New England Journal of Medicine.