RESEARCHERS claim that by offering shopping vouchers worth a total of £400 to pregnant women smokers makes them more likely to give it up. We asked the people of Somerset what they thought about this.

Bridgwater Mercury:  

MRS Brooks said: “How do they check up on these women? I don’t think it works and I don’t think the study can be accurate.”

Bridgwater Mercury:

MR Brooks said: “I don’t think you need incentives to stop smoking. As an exsmoker, I think you just need to hate the habit to give it up. After years of smoking I decided that I didn’t like the smell or the taste and that’s how I did it.”

Bridgwater Mercury:

KIMBERLY Bate (and her daughter) said: “I think there are other people that the vouchers should be offered to, like drug addicts. I gave up smoking the day I found out I was pregnant. If you care for your baby you give it up, no question.”

Bridgwater Mercury:

MR Bill said: “There are tablets and patches and other ways to help people stop smoking. You shouldn’t need vouchers.”

Bridgwater Mercury:

MRS Bill said: “As an exmidwife, I say that smoking must be given up during pregnancy full stop – vouchers or no vouchers.”