Extended therapy helps drug-addicted teens

By Steven Reinberg

"Teens treated for addiction to heroin or prescription painkillers are less likely to continue using these drugs if they receive extended treatment with a combination of detoxification medications, rather than short-term drug therapy, a new study found."

"Both buprenorphine and naloxone have been shown to be effective in treating opioid addiction, but only limited use of these drugs has been recommended for younger patients. Buprenorphine works by relieving withdrawal symptoms and naloxone prevents or reverses the effects of injected opioids..."

"Among the 15-to-21-year-olds in the study, 55 percent used heroin, 35 percent used prescription opioids such as Vicodin and Oxycontin, and 10 percent said they used both heroin and prescription painkillers, Woody said..."

Full article available at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/04/AR200811...