Cocaine Vaccine?

[Flarecobra]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080102/...g0WXoezaW9j7AB

Scientists in Houston, TX, have come up with a way to possably counter drug addictions. They took cocane proteins, and grafted them onto a Chloria protein. The immune system produced antibodies for the combnation, and in clinical trials, managed to recogize the pure cocane protein and remove it from the bloodstream before it reached the brain.

Now, this could open up a new weapon in the war on addictions. If they were able to make this, not just for illegal drugs, but for nicotine, caffiene, and whatnot, then this could be a turning point for human health.

[Toast]

While interesting, this seems simply like a faster method of detox. It's unlikely that it will work on everyone, may have unforeseen side effects, and doesn't address the issues of the reason behind the addiction in the first place or replacement behavior.

Without appropriate psychological aid, I don't see this as being any more effective than current detox methods.

[Eltargrim]

Except for the fact that it can prevent addiction in the first place. That alone makes it worth watching. Think of it; once you've detoxed, you can prevent yourself from relapsing, even if you try to go back. It's a good thing, once it's fully tested.

[Demetrius]

I am Legend anyone? Seriously, this is a worrisome thing to me.

[Fifthfiend]

Originally Posted by Eltargrim

Except for the fact that it can prevent addiction in the first place. That alone makes it worth watching. Think of it; once you've detoxed, you can prevent yourself from relapsing, even if you try to go back. It's a good thing, once it's fully tested.

In terms of people who are already addicts, as far as I'm reading it doesn't really prevent or cure anything, it just keeps the addict from getting the desired effect from the particular addictive agent.

Which does really seem like it would be a useful tool - as the article notes, even people who really are motivated to quit are at some point gonna have a moment of weakness and try to backslide. But it's something that would only really work in the context of ongoing therapy and meaningful support, otherwise there's nothing stopping the person from just displacing the addiction, to alcohol or heroin or gambling or meth or whatever other thing. Or for that matter, waiting out whatever time this vaccine is good for (assuming it's one that has a time frame for effectiveness) and then going back on the coke.

Now in terms of actual prevention, IE giving it to people who've never been addicts in the first place, that sounds like a whole other bag of rice. I mean the kind of person who's gonna electively get this sort of thing done in advance probably isn't gonna be the kind of person who's likely to get addicted in the first place, which leaves the idea of requiring people to get this done, which I really don't know if I like at all. It's really easy to see say, parents using something like this to innoculate their children against whichever kind of substance they don't want them ever being able to enjoy.

[Magus]

It also says they'll "lose interest" because they can't get high, but then again they might just overdose in an attempt to obtain that high they can't feel. That would depend on the addict, though.

Definitely sounds good for probably a large number of addicts, but not all of them.

[Bells]

You just know that somewhere in there there will be a guy thinking on using this as an way to get high without getting addicted to it. People just like to fuck up good things. Or Just an opening for people developing new types of Syntetic drugs.

I do, however, hope that stuff like this gets real soon and it causes a major strike on the crescent power of drugs, even if they made it work just with lesser addictions like Nicotine it would be nice

[Mirai Gen]

It's an interesting idea, but I'm still trying to wrap my head around the practical application involving the current addicts.

It would be a nice deterrent but other than that I'm trying to figure out what to do with this new knowledge.

[Althane]

Originally Posted by Demetrius

I am Legend anyone? Seriously, this is a worrisome thing to me.

How so? The science behind I am Legend is somewhat... silly at best. You won't find a virus that so radically alters your system (well, beyond killing it..), or most forms of modification. Hell, it's probably not even possible at all.

Seems like a good thing to me. Not being a crack addict, however, I couldn't say. =P

[Lady Cygnet]

Originally Posted by Fifthfiend

But it's something that would only really work in the context of ongoing therapy and meaningful support, otherwise there's nothing stopping the person from just displacing the addiction, to alcohol or heroin or gambling or meth or whatever other thing.

I agree. If the addict doesn't go through detox before being given this "vaccine," there is a very real danger that the person will overdose, as Magus suggested, in order to get the high that he or she is missing. Detox is an extremely important part of any addiction treatment, and it is necessary in order to help a person lead a healthier life without the addiction. To cut someone off abruptly from a drug can wreak havoc with a person's system. For example, if a person quits caffeine abruptly, without gradually tapering down, the person usually develops severe headaches and an increase in fatigue and irritability. Sometimes, a person becomes completely unglued, hallucinating and taking foolish risks.

This vaccine could be a good thing, but it should be used very carefully in conjunction with other treatments. I also hope that there will be a requirement for patient or next-of-kin consent before something like this is ever used as a treatment. There is a lot of potential for it to be misused.