Forget the patches, gum, hypnosis, and aversion therapy, if
you want to quit smoking you need to put your money where your mouth is. That's
according to the latest report from the New Zealand Institute of Economic
Research, which says studies by behavioral economists have shown that paying
yourself to quit is more successful than other methods.
The idea is called a commitment contract, under which the
smoker regularly places a predetermined amount of money with a neutral third
party for the duration of the agreement. Should they kick the habit, as proved
by a blood test, they get reimbursed the entire sum. If not, they get nothing.
The research says it works because those trying to quit the
ciggies have something to work towards rather than a negatively perceived
process many feel compelled to rebel against by lighting up.
Trials of the method in the Philippines found that it proved
more than 50 per cent more successful than that of the control group who were
just shown pictures of the consequences of smoking.
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