Straight Talk: Thank you for not smoking

Dear Straight Talk: Trying to quit smoking? Forget it. The trick is not starting. Leroy and Dee were heavy smokers who knew this. They told their sons at a young age that they put $600 apiece (equal to $3,850 today) in an account to receive when they graduated high school in 1969 if they never smoked one cigarette. They might have both tried one, but never to their parent’s knowledge and they both collected their money. They never did start smoking. Almost every smoker starts before 18. Most kids aren’t rewarded for not smoking, only threatened punishment for starting, which heightens excitement and peer approval. If kids had guaranteed money at graduation for not smoking, it would be a game-changer for American smoking. I think Bill Gates could fund this one.

- John Snider, Cottonwood

Moriah, 17, Rutland, Vt.: Great idea. I’ve never felt tempted to smoke, however many kids find the social pressure and curiosity stronger than their belief in a faraway future. This could pole-vault kids over that critical addiction period.

Katelyn, 19, Huntington Beach: If this became a project, other incentives would jump aboard: electronics, scholarships, auto loans, etc. All nicotine products should be included.

Brandon, 21, Mapleton, Maine: Maybe bribing kids to not smoke was OK in 1969 when there weren’t the proven facts on cigarettes. Back then, people would say, “Where’s the proof?” Today, kids know better. What’s next? Receiving cash to not get pregnant, do drugs, or steal? I don’t agree with paying people to perform basic common sense.

Colin, 21, Sacramento: This might work if you lowered the amount and parents or willing billionaires ponied up. In Indonesia (population 250 million) nearly every 12-year-old boy is a regular smoker.

Lennon, 28, Los Angeles: Bribes are associated with corrupt activities, rewards with beneficial ones. Calling rewards “enabling” or “soft” is slippery. We all trade ‘what we got’ for monetary rewards. Anyone getting a paycheck knows that. Currently for teens, the smoking versus not smoking choice lacks a clear reward option. When one’s friends are smoking, refraining due to future health can look weak compared to fitting in and/or rebelling. However, if not smoking netted $3K, that’s a new option on the table. In addition, punishment becomes losing the $3K, placing the onus of choice on the child, not the parent, thus removing the rebelling aspect. Teens “get” this option and are unlikely to pressure each other.

Brie, 23, London, England: I’m doing this if I have kids. Awesome idea.

Dear John: Indeed, the idea is smokin’ hot. Smoking is the No. 1 cause of preventable death in the U.S. - with 90 percent of smokers starting in high school. It’s also ridiculously expensive, not counting the $7-$10 per pack. A UC San Francisco study calculated that health care and loss of productivity due to illness and premature death cost California $18.1 billion in 2009.

If every 18-year-old in California refused to smoke and each received $3,850 , the reward would total $2 billion. Savings: $16.1 billion. The $2 billion rewarded would stimulate the economy, jumpstarting young adults in colleges, careers, transportation, investments, etc. Something like this could be funded by a philanthropist in any school district or city, with many eager sponsors. Saliva and urine nicotine test kits are readily available. What a life-changing project. - Lauren

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