Vouching to Quit
Smoking is the number one cause of preventable deaths in the US, killing more than 440,000 people a year. Of the estimated 46.5 million Americans who smoke, 70 percent would like to quit, though few are able to do so. Psychology Professor Jesse Dallery, aided by a grant from the National Institutes of Health, has developed an innovative new way to help smokers kick the habit.
"You have to increase their motivation not to smoke," Dallery says. "The question is, what kind of incentive is powerful enough? If your health, the cost of cigarettes, the stains to your teeth and clothes isn't powerful enough, what will provide enough incentive for a smoker to quit? My research argues that if you deliver immediate incentives of a great enough magnitude, you can compete with smoking."
Dallery's answer is offering the smokers in his research study vouchers to shop online at Target, Wal-Mart, Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Gap, JCPenney, Best Buy, Chili's and many other vendors if they quit smoking and sustain cessation. The longer participants maintain abstinence, the greater the dollar amount of their vouchers. Once they have enough voucher money saved up to buy a product they want from any of the 21 participating vendors, participants simply submit a request to Dallery, who orders the product and ships it directly to their door.
"This is one innovative way to reach hardcore smokers," Dallery says. "The study is geared toward heavy smokers who have been smoking for a long period of time and really have no motivation to quit. These are the people who are not reachable through current treatment."
But for those chain-smokers out there who think they can walk away with the prizes and still continue smoking, think again. The study does not operate on the honor system. Dallery has designed a program that is virtually cheatproof. Using a carbon monoxide monitor, participants have to take a breath test every night under the watchful eye of a Webcam. They simply blow into the monitor--which calculates how much carbon monoxide is in their lungs--and show the results to the Webcam, which records the whole process. They then e-mail the video clip to Dallery. The whole process takes a matter of minutes and frees participants from traveling to the lab for time-consuming tests.
To participate in the study, individuals must have a long history of smoking--at least five years--with no successful quit attempts. They must smoke more than 20 cigarettes a day and have no intention to quit. They cannot be on the patch, Zyban, use nicotine gum or any other variety of smoking cessation aids. Dallery has conducted the study for the past four months, and many of the participants so far are hardcore chain-smokers, consuming about three packs a day. "To get any sustained period of abstinence with these people is pretty remarkable," he says. "And so far, it's working."
Dallery has received NIH funding to continue the study at $100,000 a year for two years. Once the results are in, he plans to research more economical ways to use incentives to help people stop smoking. He also wants to look at how using products like the nicotine patch and Zyban, along with incentives, will increase a smoker's ability to kick the habit.
--Buffy Lockette
September 2003 Total: $2,805,221 |
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| Investigator | Dept | Agency | Award | Title |
| BURNS A F | ANT | NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION | 1000 | GRADUATE RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM - COST OF EDUCATION ALLOWANCE |
| FALSETTI A B | ANT | MULTIPLE SOURCES | 545 | FEES FOR SERVICES INCLUDING FORENSIC WORKSHOPS & CASE ANALYSIS |
| WARREN M W | ANT | MULTIPLE SPONSORS | 522 | MISCELLANEOUS DONORS |
| BOWES G E | BOT | MISCELLANEOUS DONORSUNRESTRICTED DONATION | 1000 | MISCELLANEOUS DONORS |
| GORDON D R | BOT | NATURE CONSERVANCY | 15714 | TNC SPACE AGREEMENT |
| MACK M C; CARDELUS C | BOT | NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION | 10000 | MINORITY POSTDOC FELLOWSHIP 2003: DOES EPIPHYTE FUNCTIONAL DIVERSITY AFFECT NUTRIENT PARTITIONING AND RETENTION IN WET |
| SOLTIS D E; SOLTIS P S | BOT | PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY | 448914 | THE FLORAL GENOME PROJECT:ORIGIN & EVOLUTION OF THE FLORIDA GENETIC PROGRAM AND PHYLOGENETIC TOOLS FOR EVOLUTIONARY AND |
| TAKANO Y | BOT | FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY | 111420 | BOSE-EINSTEIN CONDENSATION OF MAGNON IN QUANTUM MAGNETS |
| EYLER J R | CHE | FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY | 47500 | "TRAVEL SUPPORT FOR THE FREE ELECTRON LASER--FOURIER TRANSFORM MASS SPECTROMETER FACILITY IN NIEUWEGEIN,NETHERLAN" |
| EYLER J R | CHE | NATL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH | 28500 | TARGET ASSISTED COMBINATORIAL SYNTHESIS |
| KATRITZKY A R | CHE | EXXONMOBIL CORPORATION RESEARCH & ENGINEERING COMPANY | 13103 | JOINT RESEARCH INTO CHEMICAL ASPECTS OF PETROLEUM(AMENDMENT NO. 1 TO AGREEMENT #57821) |
| KATRITZKY A R | CHE | EXXONMOBIL CORPORATION RESEARCH & ENGINEERING COMPANY | 10483 | JOINT RESEARCH INTO CHEMICAL ASPECTS OF PETROLEUM |
| KATRITZKY A R | CHE | EXXONMOBIL CORPORATION RESEARCH & ENGINEERING COMPANY | 12579 | JOINT RESEARCH INTO CHEMICAL ASPECTS OF PETROLEUM(AMENDMENT NO. 1 TO AGREEMENT #57821) |
| KATRITZKY A R | CHE | U S NAVY | 196907 | "SYNTHESIS OF ACETYLENES/DI-ACETYLENES, STUDY OF THEIR 1,3- DIPOLAR CYCLOADDITIONS WITH AZIDES/POLYAZIDES AND PREPARATIO" |
| KATRITZKY A R | CHE | EXXONMOBIL CORPORATION RESEARCH & ENGINEERING COMPANY | 12055 | JOINT RESEARCH INTO CHEMICAL ASPECTS OF PETROLEUM |
| KATRITZKY A R | CHE | EXXONMOBIL CORPORATION RESEARCH & ENGINEERING COMPANY | 5241 | JOINT RESEARCH INTO CHEMICAL ASPECTS OF PETROLEUM(AMENDMENT NO. 1 TO AGREEMENT #57821) |
| KATRITZKY A R | CHE | IMCLONE SYSTEMS | 0 | IMCLONE SYNTHETIC PROJECT |
| KATRITZKY A R | CHE | MULTIPLE COMPANIES | 3250 | SOFTWARE RESEARCH SUPPORT |
| KATRITZKY A R | CHE | MULTIPLE COMPANIES | 964 | MILES COMPOUND CONTRACT |
| KATRITZKY A R | CHE | MULTIPLE COMPANIES | 496 | MILES COMPOUND CONTRACT |
| KATRITZKY A R | CHE | MULTIPLE COMPANIES | 272 | MILES COMPOUND CONTRACT |
| KATRITZKY A R | CHE | MULTIPLE COMPANIES | 272 | MILES COMPOUND CONTRACT |
| KATRITZKY A R | CHE | MULTIPLE COMPANIES | 272 | MILES COMPOUND CONTRACT |
| KATRITZKY A R | CHE | MULTIPLE COMPANIES | 3848 | MILES COMPOUND CONTRACT |
| KATRITZKY A R | CHE | MULTIPLE COMPANIES | 420 | MILES COMPOUND CONTRACT |
| MARTIN C R | CHE | BROADLEY-JAMES CORPORATION | 31751 | SBIR/STTR PHASE I: MINIATURE REFERENCE ELECTRODE WITH ANINVARIANT LIQUID JUNCTION POTENTIAL |
| MARTIN C R | CHE | BROWN UNIVERSITY | 49560 | DIRECT NANOSCALE CONVERSION OF BIO-MOLECULAR SIGNALS INTO ELECTRONIC INFORMATION |
| MCELWEE-WHITE L A | CHE | AM CHEMICAL SOCIETY | 5000 | AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY DIVISION OF ORGANIC CHEMISTRY FUND |
| REYNOLDS J R | CHE | PHYSICAL SCIENCES INC | 39992 | INTERFACIAL CHARGE TRANSPORT WITH ADSORBABLE PPRODOTS |
| SCOTT M J | CHE | U S DEPT OF ENERGY | 130892 | ADVANCED EXTRACTION METHODS FOR ACTINIDE/LANTHANIDE SEPARATIONS |
| YOST R A | CHE | IONALYTICS CORPORATION | 90000 | RESEARCH IN HIGH-FIELD ASYMMETRIC WAVEFORM ION MOBILITY SPECTROMETRY (FAIMS): ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE LASER DES...... |
| YOST R A | CHE | FINNIGAN CORP | 36000 | FUNDAMENTAL & INSTRUMENTAL STUDIES OF GC/MS/MS ON THE GCQ |
| TURNER E R | HIS | U F FOUNDATION | 10186 | SAM PROCTOR FELLOWSHIP FUND |
| CHEN Y | MAT | MRI DEVICES CORPORATION | 13279 | "RESEARCH AGREEMENT BETWEEN UF & MRI DEVICES CORPORATION:MAY 12, 2003 - DECEMBER 10, 2003: PARALLLEL MRI ENCODING" |
| OPPENHEIMER D G | MAT | PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY | 279496 | THE FLORAL GENOME PROJECT: ORIGIN AND EVOLUTION OF THE FLORIDA GENETIC PROGRAM AND PHYLOGENETIC TOOLS FOR EVOLUTION |
| ANDRAKA B | PHY | NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION | 125935 | SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF UNCONVENTIONAL HEAVY FERMION MATERIALS |
| BISWAS A | PHY | FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY | 115140 | INVESTIGATION OF THE NORMAL STATE OF ELECTRON-DOPED CUPRATES IN HIGH MAGNETIC FIELDS |
| DORSEY A T | PHY | FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITYNAT HIGH MAGNETIC FIELD LAB | 32092 | MICROWAVE SPECTROSCOPY OF 2D ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS IN TILTEDMAGNETIC FIELDS |
| HIRSCHFELD P J | PHY | U S NAVY | 61890 | THEORY OF DEFECTS IN CUPRATE SUPERCONDUCTORS |
| MEISEL M W | PHY | NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION | 8400 | REU SUPPLEMENTAL - MAGNETISM OF QUANTUM SPINS IN LOWDIMENSIONS |
| MONKHORST H J | PHY | UNIV OF CALIFORNIA U C IRVINE | 62701 | RESEARCH FOR THE DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTER AND RESONANCE MODE OF THE P-11B PLASMA ENERGY GENERATOR |
| RAMOND P; SIKIVIE P | PHY | U S DEPT OF ENERGY CHICAGO OPERATIONS OFFICE | 103503 | TASK A: RESEARCH IN THEORETICAL ELEMENTARY PARTICLE PHYSICS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA |
| BRADLEY M M | PSY | NATL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH NIMH - MENTAL HEALTH | 100400 | THE CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF EMOTION AND ATTENTIONPROJECT 3 |
| FISCHLER I S | PSY | NATL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH NIMH - MENTAL HEALTH | 23531 | THE CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF EMOTION AND ATTENTIONPROJ. 4 |
| FAIRCLOTH C A | SOC | U S DEPT OF VETERANS AFFAIRSGAINESVILLE VA MEDICAL CENTER | 7018 | RESEARCH SUPPORT SERVICES CONTRACT |
| HENRETTA J C | SOC | NATL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH NIA - NATL INSTITUTE ON AGING | 224292 | FAMILY CULTURE AND INTERGENERATIONAL ALLOCATIONS |
| CASELLA G; DANIELS M J | STA | NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION | 17500 | NSF CONFERENCE IN THE MATHEMATICAL SCIENCES ON DATA MINING AND BIOINFORMATICS |
| EMMEL T C | ZOO | MISCELLANEOUS DONORSUNRESTRICTED DONATION | 10000 | MISCELLANEOUS DONORS |
| EVANS D H | ZOO | NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION | 4000 | INSTITUTIONAL ALLOWANCE: GRADUATE RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM ALLOWANCE |
| EVANS D H | ZOO | MISCELLANEOUS DONORSUNRESTRICTED DONATION | 1000 | MISCELLANEOUS DONORS EXPENSE ACCOUNT FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS |
| HOLT R D | ZOO | UNIV OF MINNESOTA | 296386 | BIOCOMPLEXITY OF THE GREATER SERENGETI- HUMANS IN A BIOLOGICALLY DIVERSE ECOSYSTEM |
This listing of grants is obtained from the Division of Sponsored Research in the Office of Research and Graduate Programs. While every effort to ensure accuracy has been made, mistakes sometimes happen. If you feel there is an error, please contact Greg Miller-House at gregmh@rgp.ufl.edu.
Photos:
Jane Dominguez