whether financial incentives — such as cash payments, vouchers or the return of money deposited by participants — helped people quit smoking. Ten trials focused on pregnant smokers.
There was significant variation in the amount of incentives used in the trials, ranging from zero (self-deposits) to between $45 and $1,185.
The researchers found that after six months or more, people who received financial rewards were about 50% more likely to have quit smoking than those in the “control groups.”
Among smokers not receiving incentives, about 7% had successfully quit smoking for six months or longer, compared to almost 11% of those receiving incentives, the findings showed.
“This is an important increase when we consider the enormous harms of smoking, and benefits of quitting, and suggests that incentives can be a useful part of a
