For the past few months, nicotine substitutes have been reimbursed by Social Security, which has caused sales to explode.
Patches, chewing gum, lozenges… Nicotine substitutes for quitting smoking exist in several forms. According to information from Franceinfo, their sales are exploding. More than 300,000 French people have been buying them every month since last September.
“This is a record, we had never had such a high number of people benefiting from treatment to help stop”, explains Aurélie Lermennier-Jeannet, of the Observatory of drugs and drug addiction. If sales are up, it is mainly because the government authorized the reimbursement of these substitutes by Social Security a few months ago. With the aim of encouraging the French to quit smoking.
No more ceiling, no money to advance
Before, a smoker who tried to quit could be reimbursed up to 150 euros per year. Since May, there is no longer a ceiling and it is no longer worth advancing money in pharmacies for these nicotine substitutes. Still according to Franceinfo, the number of prescriptions issued by doctors has thus jumped. It has increased by 66% compared to last year! For the moment, nearly 40% of patches or other chewing gums are reimbursed by Social Security. From next January 1, 100% of them will be reimbursed.
Gradually reduce nicotine
Very recently, a study demonstrated that a total withdrawal from tobacco – and therefore from nicotine – caused a fatigue effect. Emotional exhaustion that increases the risk of relapse. This fatigue is linked to nicotine deficiency when the smoker has no means of substitution or a means of substitution that is too weak.
In France, the number of smokers decreases every year. But smoking remains the number one cause of preventable death, with around 73,000 deaths each year. The government is gradually moving towards a price of a pack of cigarettes of 10 euros. Today it costs around 8 euros. Next year, it will increase twice by fifty cents, to reach 9 euros.
.
