Cheshire Council Look to Incentivise Smokers to Quit

A proposed measure would see smokers who quit, gain money for doing so

21 June 2022 | Hannah Rubery

In 2019, the UK government made the bold leap to proclaim that by 2030, the UK would be smoke-free (with 5% or less of the population, smoking). Even at the time, it was admitted to be a challenging move but a necessary one to help curb smoking prevalence and improve the health of the nation. Before this, we have seen smoking prevalence decline in the UK, with smoking among adults 18+, having fallen by a third since 2011.

But after 2019, smoking prevalence hasn’t lowered significantly and because of this there are concerns that we are not likely to meet the smoke-free 2030 deadline. In 2019, smoking prevalence was around 14% of the population. And although levels of smoking has remained somewhat stable these last few years, during the pandemic there was an increase in young adults who took up smoking – a 25% increase!

An effort to help smokers quit from Cheshire Council

In an effort to tempt more to quit smoking, Cheshire Council is considering offering monetary incentives to those that quit. According to their data, 10.5% of people and 10.8% of pregnant women in their borough, smoked tobacco, and the number of quitters is declining.

By offering cash incentives, up to £200 for those who quit and £400 for pregnant women to quit, it is believed to incentivise around 50% more likely to quit. But how would this work? Essentially, those taking part in the scheme would have to take exhaled carbon monoxide tests to confirm their quitting status, with the pay-outs given in instalments.

Although similar efforts have been done elsewhere, some are still dubious as to whether this method would work. After all, quitting smoking creates its own savings, potentially saving smokers thousands of pounds in money a year. If that is not enough to persuade smokers to quit, then how would a couple of hundred pounds?

Cheshire Council are set to make a decision on this scheme next month.

Is smoking still a prevalent problem?

Smoking is still one of the greatest causes of premature death in the UK. Each year in England, over 77,000 people die and for each person who dies, there are 30 more who live with serious smoking-related illnesses.

What’s interesting is that two-thirds of smokers started smoking when they were under-age, before they realised how harmful it could be and how hard it would be to quit. Similarly, children who grow up in smoking households are 90% more likely to become smokers themselves. Seven out of ten adult smokers want to stop smoking, with three-quarters regretting ever having started. And on average, smokers try at least 30 times to quit before quitting successfully.

Why is it so hard? There are numerous factors at play be it mental health, addiction, even ethnicity and social class linked to smoking. That’s why it’s vitally important that the government and ourselves, do all we can to help smokers quit.

Ways to quit smoking

Whether it’s yourself, a friend or a family member, quitting smoking can be hard but that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be done. Stopping smoking is one of the best things you can ever do for your health and the benefits can start almost immediately. So where to begin?

Speak to your GP or your local Stop Smoking Service

The first point of call should always be the experts. They can help lay out a plan for you which can be important especially for sticking to it! Making a large goal into bitesize chunks makes it more achievable. The NHS offer a variety of stop-smoking aids including a personal quit plan and more information on stop-smoking aids.

Invest in stop-smoking aids

One of the most common ways many stop smoking is by using tools to help them. Cold turkey works for some but not all. Traditional NRTs (Nicotine Replacement Therapy) include nicotine gum and patches, but a common tool that has risen in popularity is E-Cigarettes. Vaping is far less harmful than cigarettes and offers a much more like-for-like experience for smoking which is why it works so well. E-Cigarettes have even been touted as a much more effective stop-smoking tool than traditional NRTs.

Do you think that the UK government will be able to pull together enough resources and ideas to hit 2030’s smoke-free deadline? If not, what do you think should be done to decrease the UK’s smoking prevalence? Let us know in the comments…