Dutch Doctors Launch Study to Link Vaping & Smoking to Emergency Room Visits, Offer Immediate Cessation Support
AMSTERDAM – A coalition of Dutch medical associations, including emergency physicians, pediatricians, and pulmonologists, alongside the Trimbos Institute and prevention platform Vapen#Your Choice, have launched a study to determine the daily number of patients seeking emergency care due to smoking and vaping-related illnesses. The initiative aims to inform policy changes and improve care pathways for nicotine users, with participants offered immediate referral to smoking cessation programs.
The study comes amid growing concern over the rising rates of vaping,particularly among young people. Recent data indicates that 13% of Dutch adults have ever used a vape,with 4% using them daily. A significant portion – one-third – of daily vapers also smoke traditional cigarettes.
“Nicotine is extra bad for teenagers because it disrupts brain advancement,” explains Esther Croes, an epidemiologist at the Trimbos Institute. “This can cause permanent brain damage and mental problems, such as anxiety disorders, concentration problems and depression. This damage to the brain is irreversible.”
Doctors are particularly alarmed by the speed at which vaping can cause serious health issues, unlike cigarettes where illness often develops over years. Cases of acute pneumonia, asthma attacks, and collapsed lungs are being reported, with some requiring intensive care.
The study’s findings, expected within a month, will be used to strengthen prevention efforts and improve post-emergency care. Participants who smoke or vape will be offered a referral to cessation support services, recognizing that “a nicotine addiction holds people in its grip, sometimes even when they become seriously ill,” according to Dr.Kraaijvanger.
The Trimbos Institute has also developed a “super short advice” method for doctors – a one-minute conversation followed by a referral to smoking cessation guidance - which research suggests can double a patient’s chances of successfully quitting.
