Researchers noted that 'giving monetary compensation' is most effective for smoking cessation

Smoking cessation causes many withdrawal symptoms (withdrawal symptoms) in a short period of timeIt is said that it is accompanied by great pain. Because of this suffering,(PDF file)Survey of Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare in 2017In fact, the number of people who want to quit smoking in recent years and the number of smokers have remained almost unchanged, so the fact that it is hard to achieve even if trying to quit smoking is shown. Scott Halpern, associate professor of pharmacy at the University of Pennsylvania and colleagues and others, show that the approach that gives 'monetary incentive compensation' to smoking cessation is most effective.

A Pragmatic Trial of E-Cigarettes, Incentives, and Drugs for Smoking Cessation | NEJM
https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMsa1715757?query=main_nav_lg&

To get smokers to quit, money works better than electronic cigarettes
http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-quit-smoking-trial-20180523-story.html

In order to investigate what kind of smoking cessation therapy is effective, research team of Mr. Halpan and others started the experiment by classifying 6006 subjects into groups to perform the following five kinds of smoking cessation treatment. After that, we are investigating how many people were able to achieve smoking cessation for half a year.

Regular care:A group in which subjects are provided with "what benefits do they have for smoking", "strategies to increase success rates", and "information for accessing text messaging services" of the National Cancer Institute of America.
Free offer of smoking goods:In addition to what is provided to subjects in "regular care"VareniclineYaBupropionSmoking cessation aid, nicotine patch, gum, candies are offered. To those who tried these in the past and were not effectiveElectronic CigaretteWas also distributed.
Electronic Cigarette:In addition to what is provided in "regular care", a group to which electronic cigarettes are offered.
Success fee:In addition to "regular care", "free provision of smoking cigarettes" and "electronic cigarette", if it is accepted that urinalysis and blood tests quit smoking, the smoking cessation period is 100 dollars (about 11,000 yen) in one month, , A group featuring additional fee of 200 dollars (about 22,000 yen) in 3 months, and 300 dollars (33,000 yen) in half a year as additional compensation.
Advance payment:"Normal care", "free provision of smoking cigarettes" and "electronic cigarette" are offered, and 600 dollars (about 66,000 yen) will be transferred to the subject's bank account before the experiment begins. Thereafter, if the subject achieves quarterly smoking cessation, there is nothing but if it does not achieve, cash is collected according to the period of quitting smoking. It is thought that thinking that "I do not want to lose money" was designed to investigate whether to increase the effect of smoking cessation treatment.


When the experiment was started, more than 80% of subjects never reported the status of smoking cessation. For this reason, the research team evaluated that these subjects were not able to quit smoking. Among the subjects who cooperated in the survey, those who successfully quit smoking for half a year had 1 "regular care", 8 "free provision of smoking cessation goods", 12 "electronic cigarettes", 12 " 24 people, "advance payment" became 35 people, and among the 80 people who succeeded in quitting smoking, about 75% was shown to be a group to receive monetary compensation. Comparing in two groups that make monetary remuneration, the "advance payment" group generated higher effect, but we can not say that it is statistically significant.

Also, if you calculate the amount you need to make one successful person out of the expenses paid to each group, "normal care" is 700 dollars (about 77,000 yen), "free offer of smoking goods" is about 7800 The dollar (about 850,000 yen), "electronic cigarette" is about 5,400 dollars (about 590,000 yen), "reward fee" is about 3600 dollars (about 390,000 yen), "advance payment" is about 3,500 dollars (about 38 It is reported that it was 10,000 yen). Although it is the result that the cost performance of "regular care" is the highest because of the low initial cost, the remarkable low success rate is a concern. Noteworthy is the group of 'pay fee' and 'advance payment' with monetary remuneration, so compensation is not paid (or collected) to non smokers, so it costs per successful person It resulted in reduced cost.


The research team has also conducted follow-up observations for 80 successful people for a further half year, and it has been clarified that the number of people who have continued to quit smoking for one year will be reduced to less than half of 38 people. Nonetheless, Mr. Halpan and others said that because of high cost performance "efforts to give monetary remuneration make sense when promoting smoking cessation at companies that want to reduce smokers."