Preliminary Examination of Adolescent Spending in a Contingency Management-Based Smoking-Cessation Program

Abstract

Contingency management (CM) utilizing monetary incentives is efficacious in enhancing abstinence in an adolescent smoking-cessation program, but how adolescents spend their money has not been examined. We assessed spending habits of 38 adolescent smokers in a CM-based smoking-cessation project prior to quitting and during treatment using a questionnaire about spending in a number of categories, including cigarettes, other addictive substances, durable goods, and disposable goods. Our preliminary results indicate that participation in a CM-based program for smoking cessation did not lead to greater spending on cigarettes and other substances and may have produced more socially acceptable spending.

KEYWORDS:

• adolescent
• contingency management
• smoking

Preparation of this manuscript was supported by Center Grant # P50 DA0942, funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse.