The City of Austin is about to put its money where its mouth is to help its employees quit smoking -- but should your tax dollars be spent on someone else's bad habit?

Friday afternoon’s Austinites enjoy live music outside city hall. Music’s in the air. What's not is cigarette smoke, and the city is working to keep it that way for its employees through the "smoking cessation" program.

Roxanne Parker signed up. Four months later she has yet to light up.

"I’m feeling great, I feel a lot healthier, like I can breathe a little bit better," said Parker.

By taking part in a 12-week "quitters" support group, the city's health insurance covered most of the cost of the prescription drug Parker used to quit smoking. Parker paid the $50 co-pay.

"If I wouldn't have seen a smoking cessation class or seen any of the health or wellness promotions, I probably wouldn't have motivated myself to stop smoking,” said Parker.

Come January 1, the city will cover the co-pay for all program participants.

"it's a very small cost for a preventive program that have huge dividends in the end when you're reducing tobacco related diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease and respiratory diseases," said Kristy Hensen, the city’s wellness consultant.

The program is now in its third year, however these kinds of taxpayer supported programs aren't always well-received.

In 2006, Travis County commissioners voted to pay for gastric bypass surgery for morbidly obese county employees. A week later, the measure was voted down after taxpayers complained.

“I mean it's an individual decision to go ahead and become a smoker and if people make that decision they should go ahead and bear the consequences themselves,” said Todd Reed, Austinite.

Still others support the city’s program, including Austin taxpayers Michael Breen and Holli Foster.

"We should be investing in the health of the employees and the people and city and all of those things help reduce the overall wellness and the cost of health care that everyone else is responsible for," said Breen.

"Honestly I don't like being around people that are smoking so if my tax dollars are helping to minimize that, then I think it works in my favor," said Foster.

Hansen says the city has considered developing programs to help people overcome other unhealthy addictions, but found the smoking program was the most cost effective.

In order to receive the prescription drug benefit, participants must take part in one of two support groups offered.