NHS rewards for young smokers.

Brighton and Hove NHS are taking action against youngsters smoking by offering them money to quit. The scheme which was revealed in The Argus, gives teenagers motivation to give up and feel benefits of having extra money around. However, there are many people that believe it to be bribery and a way of encouraging teenagers to take up smoking.

According to the 2008 health report, 15% of boys in Brighton (aged 11- 15) smoke, compared to the much greater 25% of girls. Out of these, 20% of 15 year olds smoke at least once a week. Thankfully, the figure for 11 year olds is a much lower 1%; although this figure is surely still too high. The incentive offers under 18s £15 to stop smoking for the long term. This is to be proven by using a piece of breathalyser-type technology which will show that there is no carbon monoxide in their body from the past 28 days. The youngest person to go for help was aged 10, yet this is said to be ‘unusual’ (“child smokers given cash to quit” bbc.co.uk; 11.02.09). Youngsters find it hard to stop smoking more than any other age group, which makes this scheme a welcome progress in the fight against young smokers. However, as the Senior Brighton and Hove NHS manager said, the scheme could ‘entice’ (“Shopping vouchers for Brighton kids to quit smoking” The Argus; 10.02.09) children to start smoking.

The argument against comes from the Taxpayers Alliance who has said that the rewards scheme gives ‘bad precedent’ and is a type of bribery that could lead to an increase in young smokers (“child smokers given cash to quit” bbc.co.uk; 11.02.09). If the law was in action correctly, and sellers followed these laws then there would be no need for these remedies. Yet the evidence shows that rewarding teens has a positive effect on their health. The Pavilion MP, David Lepper, sees the problem to
run further than rewarding quitters, but with the display and branding of cigarettes. And he says that tobacco should have the same regulations as alcohol, with similar repercussions.


Organisations for the scheme hope that this will reduce health risks and save the NHS millions of pounds a year, the arguers are wondering what ‘gifts’ those that have never smoked will get for being healthy, apart from their tax going towards those that willingly risk their health.