Stobacco.com has a noble purpose - to help people stop smoking. Started by two ex-smokers, they wanted to start a site based on their experience. They believe a key component to success is to engage your friends and family to hold you accountable. Designed as a game, a smoker signs up on the site to enter the six-month no-smoking challenge. They then invite their friends and family to be 'witnesses,' to see if they smoke in that time period. If they do see them, they report it online. If a person is reported, they have up to 3 times to get caught or they lose the challenge. Friends and family can take bets on whether the smoker will last the six months, and comments from your witnesses are accepted as well. A fun feature is to see how much money the smoker has saved by not smoking. Overall, the site is easy to use and potentially a great tool for those trying to give up a deadly addiction.
What is Stobacco?
Stobacco is a website made for helping people to quit smoking. Stobacco is based on a very simple idea: the best way to quit smoking is to involve your relatives (friends, colleagues and family).
Once you have invited them to help you on Stobacco.com, they will have to look after you during your 6 months challenge to quit smoking. You will then have to prove them – and yourself - that you’re stronger than the cigarette.
If they see you smoking, they will have to turn you in on Stobacco.com, and you will have to explain what happened. At the third confession within the 6 months of your challenge, you lose.
Most smokers want to quit, at least at some point. This site offers one set of tools to help with that process, which is supposed to be one of the most difficult addictions to overcome. The approach may work for some and not for others, but the point is that it may help some.
How is this site hoping to make a profit (I saw some google adsense ads)? How are they marketing the site, as they had very little traffic? Are they advertising on the American Lung Association site or other health oriented sites? Are they trying out the site on actual smokers to get feedback and make changes as necessary? Are they tracking success stories so they can tout the value of this approach?
