How Much Money Would it Take for Montanans to Quit Smoking?

You might remember a story we had the other week about how much weight Montanans would be willing to gain before giving up alcohol. The number came out to be about eleven pounds. But I like the way they explained it as that being about the same as carrying around an extra 176 slices of bacon in your body! Well, today's survey fun comes in the form of what it would take Montanans to give up another one of their vices.

When it comes to smoking, how much money would it take to make Montanans quit?

I picture the survey to be like an episode of Deal or No Deal. Someone gets a cold call asking if they smoke. Once they say they do, that's when the negotiations kick in:

"Would you quit for $2,000?" - No deal.
"What about $6,000? $8,000?" - Again, I'll have to pass.
"Alright, my boss says I can offer you $10,445 to quit smoking." - Hmmm.....I'll take that deal!

Oklahoma Smokes, billed as "an alternative smoke for tobacco quittin' folk," surveyed over 3,500 smokers to find what amount of money would be incentive enough to make them give up their habit.

It was found that the average smoker in Montana said a cash incentive of no less than $10,445 from a federal program would nudge them in the right direction and make them quit cigarettes - compared to a national average of $9,080. While this might be an eye-popping figure, it is worth noting that smoking-related illness in the United States costs more than $300 billion each year - as there are 34 million smokers, this works out to approximately $8,832 per smoker.

What state would want the most money to say aloha to smoking?

What state's smokers would demand the most money to quit? Hawaii had the highest number at $16,500. If you smoke, what do you think? Would getting paid to quit be something that would actually help motivate you to give it up? I've never smoked so I'll substitute my fondness for milkshake drinking in place of smoking. Hmm, I'm not sure that's enough money to change my mind!