According to Natalie Bailey at Medill Reports in Chicago, there are some issues of concern rising among experts as to the efficacy of a new vaccine currently being tested to immunize cocaine addicts against the pleasurable effects of cocaine.

Hopes for the New Cocaine Vaccine During and After Cocaine Addiction Treatment

The new vaccine is only in Phase 1 of the trials to determine whether or not it should be an option in cocaine detox and addiction treatment, but there is a buzz of excitement as well as a few concerns. The report says that the vaccine, given by injection, blocks the euphoria or “high” that people experience when they use cocaine, thus deterring them from relapsing during cocaine addiction treatment and recovery. The thought is, why get use the drug if it doesn’t get you high?

Since it is called a ‘vaccine,’ another thought is that if people are vaccinated then they won’t be tempted to use cocaine in the first place or won’t develop an addiction if they are experimenting with the drug.

Cocaine addiction and use contributes to an estimated 31 percent of drug-related emergency room visits and ends in cardiac arrest for many, so the hope is that this vaccine would counter that, saving lives and money.

Dr. Thomas Kosten is the principal investigator in the study. He says: “The vaccine is very safe and we did not observe any major side effects.”

Problems with the New Cocaine Vaccine During Cocaine Rehab

The problem with the new cocaine vaccine is the issue of cocaine overdose. Those intent on relapse or who really want to experience the high from cocaine may take more and more of the drug in order to override the vaccine and get high despite its presence in the system. Since the vaccine does nothing to render the physiological effects of the drug on the body impotent, cardiac arrest through overuse is still a problem.

Others believe that the vaccine only treats one of the symptoms of drug addiction and not the cause, which won’t ultimately help anyone with true drug addiction issues. Due to the psychological cravings for drugs during addiction and the underlying drive to self medicate other social and psychological problems that often accompanies drug addiction, some experts believe that the cocaine vaccine is essentially useless in the long term.

Dr. Andy Maniotis is a professor of Bioengineering at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He says: “It makes no common sense to approach an addiction problem, especially to cocaine, whereby you block its users from feeling its effects.”

What Do You Think?

Do you believe that medications and vaccines have a place in cocaine addiction treatment? What about drug and alcohol addiction treatment in general? Will taking away the “high” that cocaine provides offer any medicinal effect in deterring future drug use? Should psychological treatment be combined with the vaccine? What do you think of the potential for a cocaine vaccine during drug addiction treatment?

In August, DJ AM (born Adam Goldstein) was found dead in his apartment at the age of 36. There were rumors there for awhile that DJ AM’s drug overdose last month was not accidental. Unlike the homicidal nature of Michael Jackson’s death, it was conjectured that maybe DJ AM’s drug overdose was suicide. The autopsy done on his body, the results of which were recently released, showed that his death was accidental.

DJ AM: Why Was His Drug Overdose Possibly a Suicide?

Those close to DJ AM (or Adam Goldstein) said that he had been depressed recently. Others noted the number of prescription drugs that were found around the apartment and assumed that if Goldstein was using again-when he had been extremely proud of his long-term sobriety-then he must be depressed.

When Goldstein was discovered dead in his New York City apartment, his body was on top of a crack pipe with an empty bag with crack cocaine residue nearby. Prescription pill bottles were found on the kitchen counter, as well. There were six OcyContin pills in his stomach and one that was undigested in his throat.

The Official Autopsy Report

The New York Medical Examiner performed the autopsy and confirmed that DJ AM’s death has been ruled an accident due to substance abuse. Technically called “acute intoxication,” Goldstein had ingested cocaine, OxyContin (or oxycodone), Vicodin (or hydrocodone), Ativan, Klonipin, Xanax, Benadrl and Levamisole, which is commonly used to cut cocaine.

Ellen Borakove is a spokesperson for the New York Medical Examiner’s office. She says, “Our investigation is completed.”

Drug Overdose: No One is Immune

DJ AM was no stranger to the drugs he was using or to their effects. He had used drugs regularly for years and was scheduled to host a show on interventions for MTV in the fall of this year. The opiate painkillers he was in possession of and using when he died were mostly prescribed to him for anxiety disorder, and he had been taking them for some time. So at what point did his use of prescription pills as medication turn into abuse and then drug addiction? And when did he start supplementing his prescription with illegal drugs like crack? If DJ AM didn’t overdose on purpose and had a long history with these drugs and he still died using them, then no one is immune.

Is Drug Overdose a Risk for You?

If you are abusing prescription opiates, crack, coke, crystal meth, heroin, over the counter drugs, club drugs and/ or alcohol, then you are at risk of overdosing. A drug overdose hits new and experimental users just as easily as long-term veterans of addiction and it can be deadly. Don’t take the risk. If you are addicted to drugs and alcohol, don’t wait to get the help you need. Contact Michael’s House for information about how you can free yourself from the risk of drug overdose.

Well known Rapper-turned-actor Cooli avoided jail time after his arrest for felony cocaine possession - and was ordered into a mandated 18-month stay at a drug rehab progam.

Coolio (his real name is James Ivey) was arrested at LAX in March after a search of his luggage revealed a large amount of cocaine.   When airport officials attempted to search his bag, the rapper grabbed the screener’s arm in an attempt to keep her from looking inside his luggage.

After the 45-year old completes all 18 months of the drug rehabilitation program the judge will rule on a possible dismissal of his case.

Once again, it takes the threat of jail time to convince a celebrity that they need help for a drug addiction.   One can only hope that Coolio will enter rehab with the right attitude, as it is only those who come to treatment in the right frame of mind who are truly able to get the most out of the program.

Those individuals who spend precious energy fighting the “system” that is there to help them are not likely to learn the decision-making skills needed to live a clean and sober life.

Everyone complains about pollution and air quality, but the residents of Madrid, Spain might actually have something to say about the matter.  According to a recent study, the air in Madrid contains trace amounts of five drugs, including cocaine.

Although the amount of the drug in the air is so low that it poses no immediate danger, it is still a fascinating phenomenon.

“Not even if we lived for a thousand years would we consume the equivalent of a dose of cocaine by breathing this air,” scientist Miren Lopez de Alda said in a statement.

It is also worth noting that the cocaine-laced air is not representative of the city as a whole.   According to the same scientists, the cocaine appears only in those areas that are known for heavy drug use.  The cocaine levels in the air in these areas is higher on the weekends, when more people are thought to be abusing drugs.

Spain is considered Europe’s biggest consumer of cocaine - with many residents enrolling in a drug rehab center each year as a result of their addiction to this dangerous drug.

As a productive NFL running back for the NFC Champion Atlanta Falcons, Jamaal Anderson was once famous for dancing the “dirty bird” every time he made it into the end zone.  Now however, the 36 year old ex-NFL great is tangoing with law enforcement over his recent arrest at Atlanta nightclub.

According to Atlanta police, Anderson and another man were snorting cocaine in the bathroom of an upscale nightclub in the Buckhead district of city.   Law enforcement was called to the scene after a patron “heard sniffing” coming out of one of the bathroom stalls.

When arrested, Anderson was found in possession of cocaine and marijuana.  He has no history of cocaine addiction or marijuana addiction.

Anderson’s career came to an abrupt halt after injuring he knee in 1999.  He attempted a brief comeback in 2001 was never able to physically perform at the level required to be successful in the NFL.

Like many ex-athletes, Anderson is an example of what happens when individuals live their entire lives with too much money and too little accoutability.   One can only hope that he gets the help he needs (and will no doubt be ordered by a judge to do so) at a qualified drug rehab facilty.