METROPOLIS, Ill. —  Illinois' adopted home of Superman considers cigarettes an enemy, and it's ready to pay a handsome reward to any city employee who can vanquish their smoking habit.

The southern Illinois tourist trap said it will pay city workers $1,000 apiece if they can stay off smokes for a year.

Mayor Billy McDaniel said the city has been looking for a way to get its employees off cigarettes for good. So far, McDaniel said, 15 people have signed up for the program that began Monday.

The plan calls for random nicotine tests to identify cheaters. Nicotine patches and gum will not affect those tests.

McDaniel hopes the program leads to healthier employees, lower insurance premiums and lower labor costs.