Trial ‘cash for quitting’ smoking scheme proves successful

A scheme which offers smokers cash as an incentive to quit smoking is being hailed a resounding success. The trial, which has been running as a pilot scheme in Dundee in Scotland for the past two years, has delivered higher smoking cessation rates than other programmes aimed at helping people to quit smoking. Smokers who passed a breath test to prove they were off cigarettes were each given a £12.50 per week incentive payment as part of the scheme.

The results of the trial scheme showed that throughout its two year course, thousands of people have been helped to quit cigarettes. According to a report on by NHS Tayside, the percentage of smokers who quit within one month was 49.9 percent, much higher than the national average of 33.7 percent.

Following the success of quit4u, the NHS in Tayside has confirmed they will be rolling the programme out to a further three areas – Angus, Perth and Kinross.

The Public Health Minister for Scotland commented on the programme: “It’s great news that this project is really helping people in Tayside to give up smoking, and, more importantly, stop for good. I would encourage other health boards to look to quit4u to see if there are lessons they can learn to increase smoking cessation right across Scotland”.