Kids in Canada getting paid to not smoke

File this one under the "When I was your age" category. Kids in Canada are getting some cold, hard incentive to stay smoke-free through high school. A new program is launching alongside their National Non-Smoking Week which is aptly named R.E.W.A.R.D.S. -- Rewarding Everyone Who Acts Responsibly and Doesn't Smoke.

They literally want to pay children to not light up. The payoff? Five thousand dollars at the end of 12th Grade! To keep them honest, a contract must be signed and four sponsors found to help pony up the cash. The students being offered this deal are currently in grades 5-8.

This is quite a movement to encourage healthy lifestyles. The group is reaching for the stars, hoping to sign up 100,000 youngsters. It will be interesting to see how many kids take the bait, but hopefully it becomes an effective program. I know I would jump at the chance to stay smoke-free if I were that age! Do you think something like this would work in the US?