Help keep Salon independent

Leighton Ku

FILE - In this Tuesday, June 3, 2008 file photo, an employee smokes a cigarette at a bar and restaurant in Harrisburg, Pa. In a study released Wednesday, May 13, 2015, smokers with $150 of their own money at stake were far more likely to quit than smokers who didn’t have to wager their money to get cash rewards. "A bit of a stick was much better than pure carrot," said the study's lead author, Dr. Scott Halpern of the University of Pennsylvania. But here’s the catch: Few people were willing to bet on themselves. Nearly everyone who was offered the rewards-only option, though, signed up for a stop smoking program. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) (AP)

Up in smoke: We’ll spend billions tomorrow for not helping the poor quit smoking today

Leighton Ku