Money
Can you get paid to quit smoking?
Sometimes. And the research says being paid helps people stay quit.
Written by Lee H. Last reviewed 7 October 2026.
A 2025 Cochrane review pulled together 39 trials, with more than 18,000 people, of financial incentives for quitting smoking. People offered incentives were about 50% more likely to still be quit six months or more later, and the effect held after the payments stopped. An earlier version of the review found it worked in pregnancy too.
Where the money comes from
- Health services and research programs. Some local stop smoking services and studies pay vouchers for confirmed quits, often checked with a breath test. Ask your local service what it offers.
- Employers and insurers. Some workplace wellness programs and insurers reward quitting with lower premiums or payments.
- Your own deposit. A commitment contract has you put money down and get it back only if you stay quit. The review found no clear difference between deposits and other incentives.
Quitting pays you anyway
At $10 a pack, a pack a day is $3,650 a year. That money stays with you from the first day, no program needed. The cost of smoking calculator works it out at your own pack price. Life insurance usually costs far less for non-smokers too, and the life insurance after quitting page explains when insurers start to count you as one.
The money you stop spending is the incentive you are always paid.
Watch it add up
The Long View shows the money you have kept next to the time you have won back, every day you stay quit.
Sources
- Notley, C. et al., "Incentives for smoking cessation", Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2025.
- Notley, C. et al., "Incentives for smoking cessation", Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2019.