The implementation of financial incentives in stop smoking services is now becoming mainstreamed in some countries. It is therefore timely that, the Tobacco Free Ireland Programme will be working with the RSCI and the local stop smoking services to implement a Health Research Board pilot programme that will provide financial incentives to help people stop smoking.
Financial incentives carry meaning beyond their monetary value. The realist review on how and why financial incentives contribute to helping people stop smoking found that financial incentives are particularly useful to help people stop smoking if they have a financial need, are pregnant or recently post-partum, have a high threshold for behaviour change, and/or respond well to external rewards. The incentives work through a number of mechanisms including the role their direct monetary value can play in a person’s life and through a process of reinforcement where they can help build confidence and self-esteem.
This pilot will provide access to enhanced support to stop smoking services alongside a financial incentive that will help motivate those who want to stop smoking to maintain a quit attempt. This provision should make an important contribution to on-going efforts to reduce rates of smoking across the population, in particular among those on lower incomes where smoking prevalence is highest. The findings from this pilot will also inform future smoking interventions to help achieve the goal of a Tobacco Free Ireland.
