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?

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There has obviously been an increase in teen pregnancies lately, but here's a concept that is sure to stir the pot. High school girls in Denver who are slated to become new mothers are asking the school district for maternity leave in order to heal and bond. They're hoping to get at least four weeks out of the request.

Keep in mind that Denver has one of the highest teen pregnancy rates. To put it in perspective, they even have a special school for new moms and mothers-to-be. However, that school has a waiting list. So now these girls are looking for leave to avoid unexcused absences. Otherwise, they would be required to get back in the classroom the day after hospital discharge.

Should the school district work with the girls and give them maternity leave? Or would that encourage teen pregnancies, so just require attendance as usual? It's a controversial topic with no easy answer. You can see where the girls are coming from, because the body does need to recover after giving birth. On the flip side, four weeks is a long time to miss school, especially for a district with so many of these cases.

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