Taiwan's Chiayi County offers subsidies for alcohol addiction treatment

Chiayi County in Taiwan is taking proactive steps to address alcohol addiction, recognizing it as a chronic brain disease requiring professional intervention. The county's Health Bureau is offering significant financial support to individuals seeking treatment, providing subsidies of up to NT$40,000 per person annually.

This initiative aims to alleviate the financial strain on individuals and families grappling with alcohol dependence, thereby encouraging them to pursue recovery. The subsidies cover various aspects of treatment, including outpatient consultations, medication, individual psychotherapy, and group therapy. Residents in need can receive assistance by seeking treatment at affiliated hospitals, including Puzi Hospital, Taichung Veterans General Hospital's Wanqiao Branch, Chiayi Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, and Dalin Tzu Chi Hospital.

To strengthen the support system, the Health Bureau recently organized a continuing education training session for alcohol treatment professionals. This training brought together prosecutors, probation officers, clinical psychologists, and social workers. By fostering cross-disciplinary collaboration, the program seeks to build a robust safety net for individuals with alcohol addiction, ensuring seamless front-end assessment and subsequent referral and subsidy services.

Chiayi County Health Bureau Director Zhao Wen-hua urged the public to cultivate healthy drinking habits, emphasizing principles such as avoiding excessive drinking, binge drinking, and never drinking and driving. She advised individuals experiencing symptoms like an inability to enjoy social events without alcohol, withdrawal symptoms such as hand tremors or anxiety when not drinking, or negative impacts on work and family life due to alcohol consumption, to seek immediate self-assessment and medical help.

The Health Bureau provides a dedicated hotline for addiction treatment information. This comprehensive approach underscores the county's commitment to supporting its residents in overcoming alcohol addiction and improving public health.

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We need to establish correct attitudes towards drinking and implement the principles of 'no alcoholism, no binge drinking, and never drink and drive.'