After it has been found out that France is the European county where pregnant women smoke the most, French hospitals have conducted a pilot study to know whether offering money to the concerned population will let them quit smoking. The program will offer around $463 per pregnant woman.
Jezebel reported that the program is part of a broader initiative that is designed to reduce the smoking rate among pregnant women in France. According to the National Institute of Prevention and Health Education, they estimated that roughly 17.8 percent, which is one in five women, smoke until their third trimester.
Marisol Touraine, the Minister of Social Affairs and Health, said in a statement that France has one of the highest smoking rates in Europe. This is not the first time that France made efforts to reduce the smoking rate of the general population. However, in the past year, campaigns that were aimed directly to pregnant women increased.
The incentive program is a part of a much larger study that aims to determine whether or not financial-related motivation will lower prenatal smoking rates. The program is sponsored by the National Cancer Institute and they hope that the money will stop women from smoking both during and after their pregnancy.
The mothers who will commit to the program will be receiving vouchers that amount to $30 at different periods of time until they receive a total of $463. This will only be given to them if they successfully complete the program. The women participating in the program will undergo frequent testing to ensure that they are no longer smoking, Australian Women's Weekly reported.
Women who can take part in the study should be over 18 and are pregnant less than four months. They should also smoke more than five manufactured cigarettes a day, Glamour Magazine reported.
Participants are not allowed to use cigarettes, electronic cigarettes, or other tobacco products during the program.
