Could this NHS scheme be abused?

[Ann]

On the news tonight, there is a pilot scheme proposal to give vouchers amounting to £750 to pregnant smokers, if they give up smoking for 6 months after the birth - in order to protect baby's health.
Lots of people were interviewed in the street and asked if they approved - many said no it was up to the individual to give up, it was a big unneccessary drain on NHS funds,etc etc .......... but I think it would be very easy to fool the authorities into thinking you were a smoker and you had been very noble in giving up, just to get your hands on the money.
What do others think?
it was on a BBS programme yesterday
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01c7pr9

[Ann]

<meant BBC programme!>

[Canary42]

Of course it would be abused - silly scheme.

[Ann]

I couldn't agree more .......... the NHS has better things to spend it's (or our!) money on, like research, better medication etc etc.

[puternut]

Read the link and noted that it says it is £750 in vouchers so no straight cash deal.

It does really depend where the vouchers can be used and what for?

[bravejordy]

Whenever there's something like this on offer there will always those who'll try to abuse it. Not wishing to digress too far from the OP's question, but something along similar lines. A few years ago a friend of mine (or should I say, ex-friend) went to his GP to get help to quit smoking and was prescribed a course of nicotine patches. The thing is, my friend does NOT smoke, he used to but he quit about ten years ago. The real reason he went to his doctor pretending to be a smoker was because he knew he'd get the patches free on prescription, due to him being on benefits. He then sold the patches to someone else for half the price the chemist were charging. I was absolutely disgusted when I learnt this and told him he should be ashamed of himself, he was no better than a drug dealer.

Even if those £750 vouchers were limited to spending in places like Mothercare, I'm sure there'd be one or two unscrupulous people who'd do something similar in order to be awarded the vouchers and then sell them on to somebody else. On a more positive note, I'm know not everyone is like this but unfortunately there'll always be the odd one or two trying to screw the system.

[cathfromsaron]

there will be certain safeguards no doubt! x

[Old_Geezer]

I'm not too keen on paying a bribe to someone in order to get them to do the right thing.

Getting paid for being good ? Most of us are good for nothing !

[pips1]

haha well put OG!

[EDDIE51]

It is possible to check if someone is still smoking. There are blood / breath tests that detect Carbon monoxide in the blood /lungs . Carbon monoxide in the body is a sure sign of smoking . My wife had these tests when she was on an anti smoking course.

[sunny-dave]

They can (and do) now test for Carbon Monoxide levels in the blood that will tell whether you are a smoker and (approximately) when you last had a fag. I would hope that they will be doing this before/during/after the period of abstinence required to qualify for this payment.

I agree with OG - it seems wrong to bribe women to do something that they should be doing anyway for their own health and that of the baby. But if the net result is better health and a saving to the NHS in the longer term then perhaps it is worth it ? Dunno ...

[sunny-dave]

snap eddie :+)

[Velvetee]

What about giving a Voucher to those of us who didn't smoke or drink during pregancy but kept healthy for the sake of ourselves and unborn children. Ridiculous!