Vouchers 'boost quit rates' in pregnant smokers

[Northerner]

Offering shopping vouchers worth a total of £400 to pregnant smokers makes them more likely to quit the habit, say researchers.

They have published the results of a trial involving 600 women from Glasgow in the British Medical Journal.

More than 20% of the women offered vouchers stopped smoking, compared with 9% given normal NHS support alone.

The Royal College of Midwives said incentivising healthy behaviours using money was "not ideal" - and expensive.

Women taking part in the trial had breath tests - as well as providing saliva and urine samples - to check whether they were smoking. Blood samples were monitored too.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-31003254

 

[HOBIE]

Its mad ! Good for people who want to stop but 😡

 

[BobbieH]

If people dont care enough about their unborn child to stop this filthy habit lets pay them to care. Its a disgrace

 

[Copepod]

The one thing that puzzles me is why the money saved from not smoking isn't enough of a financial incentive?

However, smoking in pregnancy is so damaging for the baby, that anything to reduce the number of babies exposed has got to be worth considering.

 

[Northerner]

I had a discussion with the shop assistant yesterday about smoking. She had stopped 25 years ago, when she got pregnant with her son, I stopped 20 years ago. She pointed out that one particular brand was almost £10 a pack! 😱 How on earth can people afford to smoke? That would be about £2,500 a year 😱

(not having a go at you Jenny! 😉)