Expectant moms in France are now being paid to stop smoking during their pregnancy.
According to French health minister Marisol Touraine, France is “the European country where pregnant women smoke the most.” Additionally, the National Institute of Prevention and Health Education reports that almost 20 per cent of women smoke into their third trimester.
In an effort to reduce this number, Paris’ public hospital system and the National Cancer Institute have launched a pilot study that offers women up to €300, or $440 CDN, if they kick the habit.
Women who are over the age of 18, are less than four months pregnant, and smoke more than five cigarettes a day can participate.
Watch the video above to learn more about this pilot study.
Smoking while pregnant can have dangerous effects on a woman’s unborn baby. This includes increased chances of miscarriag, stillbirth, birth defects and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
If you’re a smoker and become pregnant, the Public Health Agency of Canada advises you quit immediately and avoid second-hand smoke, which can be just as damaging to your unborn baby.
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