Smoking is the leading preventable cause of premature death in the United States, but quitting can be challenging.

Financial incentives offered by employers significantly increased rates of smoking cessation, according to a study published in the February 12, 2009 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine .

Researchers from the Philadelphia Veterans Affairs Medical Center and their colleagues randomly assigned 878 employees of a large company to receive either information about smoking-cessation programs or information about programs plus financial incentives. The incentives offered were $100 for completion of a smoking-cessation program, $250 for quitting smoking within 6 months, and $400 for abstaining from smoking for an additional 6 months after quitting. The researchers found that the employees who were offered incentives were significantly more likely to quit smoking than the employees who received information only.

Although this study involved only one company, the results are compelling and could have tremendous public health benefit if confirmed, especially if reduced exposure to secondhand smoke were taken into consideration as well.

Source

N Engl J Med. 2009;60:699-709.