Financial Rewards Boost Short-Term Success in Helping Low-Income Adults Quit Smoking

Using financial incentives (in addition to standard counseling and drug treatments) can help people who are socioeconomically disadvantaged to quit smoking, according to a randomized clinical trial. The study, published in JAMA Network Open, involved 320 participants who received standard counseling and pharmacotherapy, with half also receiving financial rewards for verified smoking abstinence.

Results showed that while financial incentives did not significantly improve smoking cessation at the 26-week mark, they did enhance quit rates at all follow-ups through 12 weeks. This suggests that financial incentives can be a valuable addition to traditional smoking cessation methods, especially in the short term, for disadvantaged populations. Read more in JAMA here.