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Money helps some quit smoking, a study shows. General Electric has waged an anti-smoking campaign since 2005, targeting its 878 employees. Among those who paid up to US$750 to quit smoking, 15 percent were still tobacco-free about a year later -- three times the success rate of a comparison group that did not receive bonuses.
"This kind of reward system provides people with direct, positive feedback," said Dr. Kevin Volpp, lead researcher, who oversees the Health Incentives Center at the University of Pennsylvania.
Dan Anzalone, a study participant who quit smoking after a 35-year habit, said, "I even used smoking cessation aids, but I couldn¡¯t quit. The $750 was a surprisingly good incentive."
GE was so impressed it plans to offer a nationwide incentive program next year, aiming to save some of the company's estimated $50 million annually in extra health and other costs for smoking employees.
The study results can be found in The New England Journal of Medicine (www.nejm.org).
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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