The deadly Puffer Fish may contain all the solutions for Heroin cure.

Kicking the Habit Of Heroin:

The deadly Puffer Fish may contain all the solutions for Heroin addicts.

Discovered in China, a Canadian biotechnology company, International Wex Technologies has now obtained the rights to develop Tetrodoxin, the poison from the fish, to fight drug addiction.

Like so many of these types of discoveries, it was merely by accident and the feeling of scientists who were working with the substance said that it could work.

Tetrodoxin blocks the painful withdrawal symptoms associated with kicking the Heroin addiction and lessens the addicts craving for the drug.

Besides treating Heroin addicts, the drug is understood to be 3000 times more powerful in killing pain which may be beneficial for cancer patients etc. Early studies in China showed that addicts withdrawal symptoms can end within three to seven days.

Currently the two most preferred methods of treating the addictions is by administering Methadone or Morphine, but both these “cures” are addictive too.

Some Facts About the Puffer Fish

  • When puffed up, it weighs about 1kg each yielding about 10,000mg of the poison, Tetrodoxin.
  • Each fish would be able to produce more than 650 doses of Wex’s Tetrodoxin.
  • The puffer fish stores Tetrodoxin in its tissue.
  • Several countries have licensed chefs who are specially trained to prepare the fish for consumption.
  • The fish is available from both wild and farmed sources. Also known as fugu, it produces the poison only when it eats plankton

We cannot say whether the drug is going to work on Heroin addicts yet, as clinical tests have yet to be completed. But the supply
of the fish is crucial. If it does work and people start using it, it must be continued. If not, the effects on these patients would be devastating. Although Dr Baddeley who works with a major biochemical manufacturer feels counselling is still the best way to get people off drugs.

3 Strikes And Your Out If Caught With Cannabis

Police will give Cannabis smokers “three strikes and you’re out” warnings when the drug is reclassified next year.

Users who are stopped in the street once or twice with the drug will simply have it confiscated, and be given a formal warning and sent on their way.

But anyone caught three times in a year will face tougher penalties including a caution or arrest and charge for possession.

The new guidelines come from the Association of Chief Police Officers are being unveiled at its annual drugs conference.

The revised stance on Cannabis will come in to effect by July next year once the Home Secretary David Blunkett reclassifies the drug from Class B to the less serious Class C.

An ACPO spokesman said: “It is effectively three strikes and out and you could be arrested.”

“The guidelines are in response to the Home Secretary’s reclassification of Cannabis. You will be given a warning for the first two times but if you are caught a third time within a 12 month period you will face more serious penalties,” he added.

Under the guidelines, quantities of up to three grams of Cannabis will be deemed for personal use.

But anyone who refuses to hand over the drug or challenges the police to take action will also face arrest.

The Netherlands controversial trial scheme shows that ‘Heroin On Prescription’ offers a future to thousands of addicts.

The results of The Netherlands’ controversial trial scheme shows that ‘Heroin on prescription’ offers a future to the thousands of addicts who have been pushed to the edges of society.
“The trial on the medical prescription of Heroin, didn’t just come out of the blue” says Wim van den Brink, Professor of Psychiatry and Addiction at the Amsterdam Medical Centre, and head of the trial. Heroin has been a problem in The Netherlands since the early 1970s. There are currently around 25,000 Heroin addicts in the country. “The good thing,” continues Van Den Brink, “is that something like 70% of these addicts are in touch with the treatment system.” A large amount compared to most other countries. The problem is, however, that although they are in contact with the treatment system, about 7 – 8,000 of these addicts are failing to respond to treatment. “Most of these addicts have been hooked on Heroin for 16 to 20 years,” explains Van den Brink, “they’ve been in abstinence treatment, they’ve been in Methadone maintenance, nothing seems to help with these people.”

Last Option?

Because of this the Dutch government commissioned a study into whether Heroin on prescription could be a treatment option, while at the same time investigating whether higher dosages of Methadone could be more effective. For three years, researchers monitored the progress of two groups of addicts: the first offered a combination of Heroin and Methadone; the second group being given only Methadone. Twelve months after the start of these different treatments, in the group with Heroin, researchers saw that the physical health of the addicts had improved dramatically. Their psychological well-being was much better, and their social integration had improved. Also, they had more contact with people outside the criminal and Heroin scene, and some are much less involved in criminal activities. Van den Brink: “you see that these patients are still addicted, but their quality of life is much better, and some people actually start to have new jobs again.”

Not A CureHeroin

According to Van den Brink, Heroin is not a cure – but it does stabilize the addicts’ lives. But does this mean these people will be receiving prescription Heroin for the rest of their lives? Van Den Brink says it’s too early to tell. What is clear is that where treatment was stopped, within two months, the addicts were back to their “highly dysfunctional levels”. “I think we can’t exclude the possibility that we might be with these people for many years to come. But then it’s much better to be with these people in good situations, in non-criminal situations, and people are actually functioning quite well.”

Higher Doses

The investigation into the levels of Methadone given in The Netherlands showed that currently they were too low. Higher dosages proved to be more effective. But doesn’t this prove the need for prescription Heroin? “We see Heroin prescription as a last resort treatment. First you have to have good abstinence programs, then you have to have good Methadone maintenance programs, and only if people don’t respond, are you allowed to get into Heroin prescription programs.”

Next Step

The next step for Professor Van den Brink is to get the Dutch government to accept the results of the trial. He has put forward two main recommendations: “We can say now that for people who are really treatment resistant, Heroin prescription might be a good treatment option, and it should become available to the Heroin addicts in The Netherlands. The second is that we should try to go for registration of Heroin as a medicinal product.” Van Den Brink is hopeful that the government will accept his recommendations and the Heroin prescription program can continue.