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AIBU?

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Being paid to Quit

38 replies

User543210 · 15/02/2017 10:49

NC for this.

AIBU to think this is ridiculous? Pregnant women are being paid by the council to quit smoking. As someone has already commented - if shopping vouchers are more motivation to quit than your baby's health maybe you need to have a re-evaluation of your priorities.

www.stokesentinel.co.uk/pregnant-women-in-stoke-on-trent-rewarded-with-shopping-vouchers-for-giving-up-smoking/story-30126362-detail/story.html

OP posts:
Coralfish · 15/02/2017 13:17

I just read a report on the effectiveness of financial rewards like this. It's actually more to do with the support they receive rather than the actually monetary value of the reward. I think that if it works it can only be a good thing - for the health of the baby if not the mother. And I think they have quite rigorous test procedures to ensure you are a long-term smoker.

Londonsburningahhhh · 15/02/2017 13:18

After I gave birth to my first child with in a few months I returned back to smoking and then gave up again with baby no. 2. I did not return back to smoking and that was 12 years ago.

Londonsburningahhhh · 15/02/2017 13:22

Gileswithachainsaw I do agree with what you posted if my partner never gave up after my second child was born I could have started up again.

Gileswithachainsaw · 15/02/2017 13:24

You raise a good point london

If someone quit but is still having to live in a house with smokers then the risks are exactly the same.

Are they going to "reward" every family member in the house with these vouchers?

Gileswithachainsaw · 15/02/2017 13:29

Thank God we have the smoking ban now.

When I was pregnant with dd1. I quit the second I found out.

Sadly I was spending up to 12 hours a day 5 days a week in a job where people were allowed to smoke in the building.

I could you just quit my job not pay rent and loose all the maternity benefits I had to weigh up affording to actually eat and live over the risk of passive smoking.

luckylucky24 · 15/02/2017 13:39

My DD's birth mum, smoked, drank and took hard drugs whilst pregnant. She did not consider the harm to baby. she probably would have considered free stuff though!
These are the people that are being targeted. Not your average person.

blackcherries · 15/02/2017 13:39

OK, some people think those who might have an increased chance of giving up smoking with vouchers rather than just improving baby's health are selfish or irresponsible.
So do we want to help selfish or irresponsible people stop smoking when pregnant
Of course we do. I don't see there's much of a question in it, tbh.

Ineedacupofteadesperately · 15/02/2017 13:45

Hmmm, think this would be fine if they could be absolutely sure it works (can people take the vouchers then go and have a smoke?) AND if there were enough midwives etc. my midwife told me she was "going over her quota" of urine samples sent for testing (for bacteria, when dipstick positive) one day. I really don't see how they can be sure these people don't smoke once they've got the vouchers without watching them 24/7.

Norland · 15/02/2017 13:49

Those of you thinking/writing that quitting smoking is more beneficial to the country in terms of health cost, must be unaware of the amount of tax raised from smokers.

I had a discussion with somebody in a pub in circa 1980 about my smoking and the cost to him in future hospital costs. At the time the NHS cost around £15,000 million per annum to run but the tax take on tobacco products was £4,700 million per year. In short, approximately 1/3 of the entire NHS was funded by tobacco taxes. Smoking related illnesses cost the NHS around £300 million p.a. - less than 10% of the tax take - so clearly my being a smoker then, was helping pay for healthcare.

However at the time, a packet of cigarettes cost around 50p for 20; what is it now? £10 for 20 somebody said above (I quit in 1985 at a time when 20 x Marlboro were £1.20)

If you look at the price cigarettes should be - inflation of cigarettes - around £3.00 then you can see that smokers are still subsidising public spending.

I'd like to see all smoking banned permanently but know only too well it's tremendously difficult to quit (took me over a year before the cravings vanished)

Gileswithachainsaw · 15/02/2017 14:05

I'm curious as to whether they have done a survey or some research into why people don't quit.

If it's because of lack of awareness/education then perhaps targeting areas of deprivation etc and running classes would help.

If it's because someone just doesn't care then chances they won't care about drugs or drink or eating properly etc either. They may take the money eye but could still be pumping their bodies full of equally harmful substances anyway. Voucher surely just frees up the cash to spend on something else.

If it's the "my body I'll do what I like" then as above they will very possibly continue to drink etc we can't take away the rights to someone's body however bad their choices are.

Of its lack of support well the money spent on vouchers could he spent on support surely? Maybe make it mobile if people are struggling to afford the bus fares to the clinics.

What extra support is going to be available as a result of this?

If the current set up isn't working on its not easily accessible enough or people are feeling judged or guilty etc and not wanting to attend or its not working fir them then if there's nothing different in the support set up its going to fail for the Same reasons isn't it? If the person can suddenly make the appointments without a cigarette with exactly the same support as there is now then maybe they weren't that addicted in the first place and just laughing at the idiots handing out vouchers to them.

Unless you tackle the actually reasons behind why they are smoking ajd why they won't or can you quit then it doesn't matter what conditions you put on the vouchers. Selfish uncaring people will still be selfish uncaring people in other ways many of which quite possible still damaging to babies and small children.

People who truly struggle with addictions well people often have more than one kind of addiction by removing on you could alter the balance they have with another leaving them still in an awkward situation.

All this money could sulky be put into more effective ways

Thinnestofthinice · 15/02/2017 16:17

No wonder this country is skint! Ffs! Why do we keep pandering to the morons and shit parents in this country constantly?

vaseofflowerss · 15/02/2017 17:15

No wonder this country is skint! Ffs! Why do we keep pandering to the morons and shit parents in this country constantly?

I agree!

People really need to take responsibility for their own health and that of their own baby!
Fucking vouchers Shock
I'm all for support groups, help lines, patches, gum, that kind of thing, but fucking vouchers! Give me strength!!!

luckylucky24 · 15/02/2017 19:19

It is not for their sake it is for the baby! As said above Dd birth mother smoked. As a result she has narrow airways and when it is cold/windy/she has a cold or the heating has been turned on for the first time she gets a tight chest and struggles to breath. This happens every 6 weeks for 2-3 weeks at a time. She has had endless doctor appointment, hospital appointments and alone has probably cost the NHS more than the cost of these vouchers.

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