Abstract
Tobacco use is associated with high morbidity and mortality rates. The prevalence of tobacco smoking is significantly higher among patients undergoing addiction treatment compared to the general population.
Despite clear evidence of positive effects resulting from the cessation of smoking in patients receiving addiction treatment, quitting smoking still remains a controversial issue among addiction treatment specialists. At the end of 2019, the Department of Addictology of the First Faculty of Medicine of Charles University and the General University Hospital in Prague launched the pilot operation of a smoke-free detoxification unit with smoking cessation support.
This approach involves a complete ban on tobacco use during hospitalization (including the use of novel tobacco and nicotine products) together with smoking cessation support based on a three-pillar model consisting of no-cost nicotine replacement therapy, educational-motivational group counselling, and individual counselling. The aim of this case study is to describe the process of the preparation and pilot implementation of the new concept of a smoke-free detoxification unit at the Department of Addictology.