The great debate over the use of the controversial drug Suboxone to treat heroin addiction is still raging on. Different segments of our society have diverse opinions and concerns about the drug and how it is being used. Suboxone, which was approved by the FDA in 2012, is an opioid drug that was meant to be an alternative to Methadone as a treatment for heroin addiction. The medical community of the State of New Jersey is concerned about the safety of the drug because it lacks regulation and careful monitoring, plus some heroin addicts have found the drug to be extremely difficult to be weaned off of. Politicians are concerned about whether they should support the drug or oppose it. Policy-makers seem to be in the predicament of a politically charged pseudo-scientific approach to the drug’s use, without any solid means of tracking Suboxone use to determine its safety. In the meantime, the medical community has had very little dialogue with the policy makers and a breach has been established between the two entities.
Effects of Suboxone: Does It Help or Hurt?
The addiction treatment community believes that Suboxone is an effective medication-assisted treatment option for heroin addiction. Policy makers have begun to oppose the use of medication-assisted treatment programs for drug addiction, and this stance is causing heroin addiction treatment to be unfavorably impacted. The debate continues as to whether or not medication-assisted treatment programs are a viable, scientific-based option. Many claim that heroin addicts who take Suboxone as a replacement therapy become addicted to the Suboxone, and have difficulty trying to discontinue its use. Some people feel that it is just replacing one opioid drug addiction for another one. Heroin addicts have had to face the decision of either going through a difficult detox process, or using Suboxone to replace heroin.
Suboxone’s active ingredient is Buprenorphine, which is a semi-synthetic opioid drug. The problem many heroin addicts face is that there is currently no documented information available about long-term Buprenorphine usage. Addiction-treatment specialists believe that Suboxone will help the heroin addict avoid many of the pitfalls of addiction, such as unemployment, crime, poverty, loneliness, depression etc. It is accepted as the improved approach to detoxing, as opposed to Methadone, from heroin and other opioid drugs.
Suboxone’s Effects
Suboxone prevents respiratory depression, which may lead to death by overdose. Fatal overdose levels were shown to drop by 80% in France when heroin and opioid addicts were treated with Suboxone. A report from the Columbia University School of Medicine claims an 88% success rate of heroin and opioid addicts not returning to those drugs since taking Suboxone as a replacement. Suboxone is a stronger opioid drug that binds to opioid receptors for days at time, more than most other opiates, and it lessens cravings.
In opposition, others claim that there is no real healing from drug addiction when one drug is replaced with another one. Long-term effects of the drug have not been established because trials have been short-term, small and selective, and Big Pharma has promoted and marketed the drug as a lifesaver. Suboxone has quickly risen in the ranks as one of the most favored drugs being prescribed in the U.S. and profits for Big Pharma are skyrocketing according to its manufacturer Reckitt Benckiser. It seems the jury is still out on the debate of Suboxone helping or hurting addicts. And, it is clear that qualified clinical trials are necessary to establish the safety and effectiveness of long-term Suboxone use. Let Drug Detox Centers San Antonio be your guide to recovery. Just give us a call today at (210) 625-6828.
