At the beginning of this year, the Wilhelmina Hospital in Assen started an experiment together with Addiction Care North Netherlands. People who have extreme difficulty in quitting smoking received the same treatment as people with alcohol or drug addiction.
Scoop
A referral to actually quit smoking is a real first. “This does not happen anywhere in the world yet. The test in Assen has shown that people who started smoking again and again can still cut down or quit with the help of this program ”, says Van de Graaf.
The addiction doctor also explains the fact that the treatment of smokers previously took place outside the hospital and was not reimbursed. According to Van de Graaf, smoking was seen as a bad habit and your own choice. “If you then get into trouble, it was your own fault. You could get compensation for coaching conversations. ” However, some smokers need heavier and more intensive help.
Addiction treatment
Anyone who is insured with Menzis can get the program reimbursed for the next three years. But if it were up to Van de Graaf, several health insurers will soon offer this additional treatment. “With this we can guide people who are stuck. That’s a good thing, because tobacco addiction is the most deadly disease in the Netherlands. ”
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