People are more likely to quit smoking and make other healthy lifestyle choices if offered small financial incentives. [s]The Independent[/s] reports that a review of evidence revealed that as little as £3 could make people up to 50% more likely to change their behaviour. The research looked at more than 30,000 participants in 16 studies who had been set challenges such as quitting smoking. [b]Newcastle University Research Associate, Dr Emma Giles[/b], said that the team had been ‘surprised at just how strong the effect was’ in the studies they looked at. ‘People who took part in these reward or penalty schemes were much more likely to adopt healthy behaviours, and if they continued they would have more chance of remaining healthy for longer,’ she said. The report notes that [b]ASH[/b] and the [b]UK Centre for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies[/b] said that more 100,000 people would quit smoking in one year if the tax on cigarettes was increased to 5% above inflation.
[link url=http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/offering-financial-incentives-an-effective-way-to-encourage-healthier-lifestyles-researchers-claim-9185212.html]Full report in The Independent[/link]
[link url=http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0090347]Full Plos One study[/link]
[link url=http://www.ash.org.uk/media-room/press-releases/:budget-chancellor-urged-to-raise-tobacco-taxes-a-call-echoed-by-ex-smokers]ASH report[/link]