Put your money where your butt is : a commitment contract for smoking cessation
Gine, Xavier
Karlan, Dean
Zinman, Jonathan
Abstract
The authors designed and tested a voluntary commitment product to help smokers quit smoking. The product (CARES) offered smokers a savings account in which they deposit funds for six months, after which they take a urine test for nicotine and cotinine. If they pass, their money is returned; otherwise, their money is forfeited to charity. Eleven percent of smokers offered CARES tookup, and smokers randomly offered CARES were 3 percentage points more likely to pass the 6-month test than the control group. More importantly, this effect persisted in surprise tests at 12 months, indicating that CARES produced lasting smoking cessation.
Such is the animosity towards bankers these days, they might think twice about asking for urine tests since they might be provided all too willingly.
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