To hate the idea of the new smoking bribe?

[CharleyFarleyy]

What do people who dont smoke anyway get? seems like they are going to miss out un-fairly.

Also if quitting for your and your babys health isnt incentive enough will shopping vouchers help anyway?

[lljkk]

I don't have a problem with it. I don't think anyone is going to start smoking just so they can get vouchers. The vouchers are rewards when women turned up for counselling & group support sessions. Almost all North American & some Australian/NZ clinical trials have same type of rewards for participation, btw, it's only unusual in Europe.

[TheComfortOfStrangers]

I hate it too, and wonder how it could be administered in any case.
I imagine that some could take advantage and claim to have stopped when they haven't; it would be very difficult to police.
Some may even claim to be smokers when they aren't, so they can have the cash!

[Hatespiders]

Well, having looked at results in Scotland and elsewhere since last year, I've concluded that it seems to work. And as it's so very beneficial to all concerned, I think we should continue with it.

Addictions are very hard to break, and nicotine craving is notoriously difficult to resist as it stays in the body for so long. Those of us who don't smoke are lucky to have been able to resist the temptation. I don't grudge my 'smoker sisters' their incentive and reward.

[BigCatFace]

I doubt people will pretend to be smokers. You can tell if someone smokes by testing their breath for carbon monoxide, and their urine for nicotine.

[lljkk]

My bad, some of the vouchers were actually because they gave proof of stopping smoking (the researchers had a way of telling), not just for attending sessions.

I think there were checks to address ComfortofStrangers' concerns.

There are similar payments tried for people who lose weight in anti-obesity programmes. I am more bothered by that because the lifestyle change is so temporary. But pregnancy is different because temporary, anyway.

[CharleyFarleyy]

You never know, if someone is desperate enough they could do.

But my point was that it seems un-fair to those who dont smoke.

I stopped drinking whilst pregnant wheres my badge and vouchers?!

If you stop smoking for money and not for your babys health maybe you should be having a baby in the first place!

[lljkk]

Typo in your rant...

[CharleyFarleyy]

*shouldn't

[lljkk]

So we should leave baby to suffer because of mom's bad decisions?

[CharleyFarleyy]

lljk - fantastic well done, A* for English

[Hoppinggreen]

I'm a bit torn because I think that you should give up smoking because it harms your baby ( and everyone else frankly) and not because you are being rewarded. Will they give vouchers to people who didn't drink or eat pate or shellfish?? They are rewarding ladies for doing what they should be doing anyway.
On the others hand if it saves babies lives and also money through less post natal treatment being needed then maybe it's worth a go

[richthegreatcornholio]

YANBU. Should be more stick and less carrot IMHO.

[LadyLuck10]

If it works then I don't have any issue with it. You don't have to always look to gain something op. I don't smoke but I don't feel I'm 'missing' out.

[Hatespiders]

For obesity (which I see as a type of addiction too) incentives may be a worthwhile investment for the overweight and also for the NHS, as it would ultimately reduce the enormous bill incurred by all the accompanying diseases (diabetes, heart problems etc)
As a general rule, I think carrots work better than sticks psychologically.

[CharleyFarleyy]

Obviously the babies shouldn't suffer for the mums mistakes but also rewarding the mother for doing something she should be doing anyway is silly.

On a (far) more extreme scale would you reward a rapist for going 9 months without raping anyone?

[DoJo]

That's like saying that being able to have free open-heart surgery on the NHS isn't fair to people who don't have heart disease. The point of this initiative is to provide a better chance at health for unborn babies - would you really begrudge them because you can't bear for their mothers to get something that you aren't entitled to?

[PiperIsTerrysChoclateOrange]

It cost £476 a day for a baby is special baby care.

Smoking increases the chance of a baby being admitted to SCBU.

The point of the rewards is to save the nhs money in the long term.

[PrimalLass]

But my point was that it seems un-fair to those who dont smoke.

This is one of the times that the saying It's not about you comes into play. It's about the unborn baby.

[hoppus]

If they do help people stop smoking then great, but if it's such a terrible addiction that the health of the baby isn't enough of an incentive then why will vouchers be any better?

[lljkk]

We all gain if these babies don't end up in NCI and there's increased chance the mother's will long term keep off the fags. Sure it's sad these women ever started much less can't easily quit. Gotta be pragmatic, though.

Analogy with rapists not valid because it's not illegal for pg women to smoke.

[hoppus]

Did you seriously just compare smokers to rapists

Just another goady fucker thread then.

[Hatespiders]

I think if you approach life with a 'Why aren't I getting what they're getting?' mentality you're going to make yourself very unhappy.
I try to be content with what I have and not grudge others if they get goodies I'm not offered.
People who smoke are very silly to do it, but we can't know what pressures influenced them in the first place. And everyone knows it's torture trying to give up once you're hooked.
Some people's circumstances mean that they require more input and help than the rest of us. I've no quarrel with that.

[CharleyFarleyy]

Is it not illegal for a pg women to smoke? I know technically its not but im sure there is a law (forgot the proper name) about harming an unborn baby?

[DoJo]

On a (far) more extreme scale would you reward a rapist for going 9 months without raping anyone?

That's not a more extreme point in the scale, it's a different scale altogether and a completely fallacious comparison. If you really want to debate the matter, then this kind of argument doesn't add much to your position.

[BolshierAyraStark]

If you can't stop smoking for the sake of your unborn child's health & have to be bribed instead it's a pretty sad state of affairs really.