The Newest “Cure” for Heroin

New products continue to be released in an attempt to fix the heroin epidemic. First was the creation of methadone and suboxone as a replacement for heroin and other opiate addictions. Next came Vivitrol as the one shot said to be a better form of suboxone or methadone. Then, there was the increase of Naloxone (or Narcan) availability. Each had its own problems and the push towards finding a fast fix to the problem is ongoing.

The newest player in the game is a scientist who is trying to develop a vaccine against heroin. So far it has been reported he has seen success with rat testing of the vaccine. There are a few problems as well however. First the vaccine did not work well as an intervention method for rats who were already on heroin. Second the vaccine would only be short lasting and would requite several doses to cover several months and then wear off.

In addition just like many vaccines, the idea would be to vaccinate kids at a young age.

Perhaps one of the biggest problems is that even if the vaccine registered heroin ineffective, the person struggling with addiction could simply switch to another drug than heroin. Additionally further testing and research of the vaccine has been halted as the scientist is unable to get a government or private grant to move on to human testing.

It seems, for now, the best option is long term drug rehab that focuses on handling the underlying issues of addiction. There are several places that specialize in heroin addiction treatment.

If you are looking for drug rehab for yourself or someone you know, call today for the best treatment options.