Never seen anything like this before: anyone who quits smoking will receive a cash reward

Earlier this year, the excise tax on tobacco products increased further, so that a pack of traditional cigarettes now costs around 2,400-2,600 forints. The price increase is not over, and even a price of 3,000 forints is not far off, as the European Commission’s proposal would raise the minimum excise tax per 1,000 cigarettes from 90 euros to 215 euros.

It is likely that this continuous price increase is also related to the fact that the number of people who have quit smoking has increased significantly in Hungary in recent years, and the number of smokers has decreased, although the proportion of the latter is still well above the EU average. According to the 2023 Eurobarometer survey, 26 percent of the Hungarian population smokes (compared to the EU average of 24 percent and 28 percent in 2020), and 14 percent have already quit (EU average: 20 percent; Hungarian value in 2020: 11 percent). Another important difference is that less than a quarter of Hungarian respondents tried to quit in the 12 months prior to the survey, compared to more than a third of EU respondents.

Meanwhile, the health risks of smoking are clear: this harmful habit is the leading cause of cancer and cardiovascular diseases, but it also has a negative impact on fertility. However, it is a common misconception that smoking is “good business” for the country because of tax revenues. According to an estimate quoted in the domestic press, the consumption of tobacco products actually costs Hungarian society one and a half times as much as the tax revenue it generates, including healthcare expenses, and the difference can be measured in hundreds of billions.

“It is therefore extremely important that as many active smokers as possible try to change as soon as possible and permanently quit smoking. There are many methods available in our country to support this, but this is the first time a national program has been launched that strongly includes a financial motivational element

– drew attention to Dr. Péter Váradi, the senior strategic advisor of the Premium Health Fund.

Those who successfully complete the program, jointly written by the Foundation for Financial Self-Care and the Premium Health Fund, will receive a targeted health credit of 50 thousand forints, but persistent participants can also participate in additional prize draws.”

It is common to argue that quitting can save a significant amount of money, but this is often not enough motivation. However, according to foreign research results, offering a cash bonus as an incentive seems to be a more effective tool than average in quitting. The new national program applies this principle – in addition to evidence-based, personalized support that supports the quitting process – and offers a cash bonus to those who demonstrably quit their harmful habit. The launch of the initiative was also motivated by the fact that although the proportion of smokers, 15 percent, is lower than the national average, according to a survey conducted among fund members, 80 percent of them plan to quit and would welcome the introduction of a support program for this.

“Our goal is to provide professional support for quitting smoking and the use of other nicotine-containing products, while supporting quitting, maintaining the participants’ motivation and promoting lifestyle changes”

– said Dr. Péter Váradi.

The comprehensive program developed by the fund with the involvement of experts to promote behavioral change includes a monetary reward as an important additional incentive, further strengthening motivation. In addition to emphasizing the health benefits, participants also receive ongoing, evidence-based support, which not only accompanies them step by step on their journey, but also provides the opportunity for regular consultation either by email or online. It is the individual decision of the participants whether to use medication support during the process.

“More than three-quarters of the participants in the pilot program have tried to quit before, the vast majority of them more than once. We received extremely positive feedback from them: two-thirds of them feel that the program helps a lot, and with this support they will finally succeed in quitting”

 – added Dr. Péter Váradi.