Otago: It is World Smokefree Day this Sunday, and two former smokers have
won money by quitting as part of a University of Otago Wellington trial
funded by the Ministry of Health. Top prize of $750 went to
Gaylene Strawbridge, who was randomly selected out of all the
participants whose abstinence had been biochemically verified over the
whole of the 18 week trial. A second prize of $250 was awarded to a
randomly selected participant whose abstinence had biochemically
verified abstinence during at least one of the checks during the trial.
Senior
Research Fellow Dr Brent Caldwell says the trial offered smokers the
chance to try a range of nicotine replacement therapies through kiosks
in workplaces and community locations, such as malls, throughout the
lower North Island.
“They received face-to-face coaching on how
to best use the therapies to maximise their enjoyment and minimise
side-effects, with the added incentive of being eligible to win money by
quitting smoking,
“Smokers could take a free sample of a week’s
supply of as many products as they liked, and be supported by expert
cessation workers through regular follow-up at the community location or
over the phone.”
Dr Caldwell says 1,514 smokers have taken up
the spur-of-the-moment chance to try nicotine replacement therapy at the
stalls, with the vast majority choosing the nicotine inhalator and
nicotine mouthspray.
“The latest international evidence shows
that offering smokers financial incentives increases their odds of
quitting by 1.43 times. Furthermore, using nicotine replacement therapy
increases the odds of quitting by 1.84.
“Quitting smoking is
really hard, and although nicotine replacement therapies make quitting
easier and double the chance of success, most smokers try to quit cold
turkey. We aimed to give them first-hand experience of how helpful
these therapies are and how to best use them, in the hope that this
would motivate smokers to attempt to quit and increase their chances of
success,” Dr Caldwell says.
“Although the government might not be
able to afford to give smokers financial incentives to quit, or
subsidise new more effective therapies, workplaces might want to do this
for their staff and reap the benefits of a healthier workforce. I
would encourage smokers to use a combination of nicotine replacement
therapies to help them quit on World Smokefree Day.”