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The citizens of the Scottish town Dundee are offered 150 pound for giving up smoking. The mayor's office will transfer the amount in parts to a special card.
Each 7 days during 12 weeks the smoker will receive 12,5 pounds to this account. The money will be transfered only if the carbon monoxide test will show that the person did not smoke during the week. This test can be passed in any drug store of the town. You have to exhale into a special tube.
The funds can be spent for drugs, food or water. They cannot be used to pay for alcohol or cigarettes.
The author of the program Andrew Radley thinks that this will help people that live in poverty. According to the local health administration about half of 36 thousands of smokers in Dundee are living in poverty.
Radley tells that they have tried all different methods to motivate people to give up smoking, but paying a patient a small amount of money motivates them best of all.
He is sure that the expenses for the program will cost less to the state than the treatment of the diesases, caused with smoking. Every year the Scottish economy loses millions, saving lives of cancer patients.
Last year a similar program has been introduced for pregnant smokers. Andrew Radley notes that almost 100 of Dundee women have given up smoking within this program. |
