US supports drug addiction vaccines

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by Change | 23 Oct 2009

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The US government has given its support to the development of new research that is seeking to develop vaccines to help people beat their drug addictions.

Efforts to help people beat a drug addiction by using a vaccine have been given the backing of the US government, it has been revealed.

The Obama administration is supporting efforts by drug companies to develop vaccines that might reduce the risk of people suffering from drug addictions and help in their drug rehabilitation treatment.

"There is an enormous amount of research and development in vaccines for cancers and a wide variety of disorders," explained Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Speaking at a meeting of the Society for Neuroscience in Chicago, Reuters reports her as saying: "We can take advantage of those developments."

Some may be concerned that the focus on vaccines may result in less investment in other addiction treatment services such as rehab centers and similar rehabilitation programs, but the experts are increasingly coming to the view that a vaccine to prevent drug abuse may be possible.

If such a vaccine works, it could revolutionise the way drug addiction treatment services are delivered, with a jab to tackle cocaine addiction already being developed.

However, for many people, entering a rehab clinic is about tackling inner demons and rooting out problems in their own lives that have led them into the drug addiction in the first place.

As a result, there may still be a need for rehab centers to help deal with such problems.

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