AKRON, Ohio – Pregnant smokers in one northeast Ohio county can get free diapers in exchange for permanently kicking the habit through a new health program there.
Summit County’s Baby & Me-Tobacco Free aims to reduce premature births and infant mortality. The Akron Beacon Journal reports studies have linked smoking during pregnancy to pre-term labor and health problems for infants.
The program’s incentive could be worth hundreds of dollars per mother. Pregnant smokers can earn a $25 voucher each month for one year if they quit smoking, attend at least four support group sessions and prove they’re smoke-free by passing monthly carbon monoxide tests after their children are born.
One participant, 24-year-old Brittney Lykes, says the support is helpful as she tries to quit smoking before her twins come this summer.
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