Metropolis City Leaders Give $1000 to Quit Smoking

"It's a hard habit to break, but we will give them support, and hope they do quit," Mayor Billy McDaniel said.

To make sure the employees follow through on their pledge, a consulting firm will administer random nicotine tests throughout the year.

"I think it will help productivity because it takes away that stoppage of work to smoke," Officer David Koch said. Kock works for the Metropolis Police Department, and has been a smoker for almost 40 years.

"I think we have three or four people sign up but some of them backslid a little bit already," Kock said. "I don't plan to start smoking again."

Mayor McDaniel says the incentive is funded by grants from the Illinois Risk Management Fund.

"The citizens of Metropolis will not be out any money. The incentives are paid 100% by insurance grant money," Mayor McDaniel said.

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