Buprenorphine Effectively Treats Teen Heroin Addiction
Buprenorphine in the form of Subutex or Suboxone is the most efficient way to treat prescription drug addiction without having to enter into a residential treatment program or go to a maintenance clinic every day. Unfortunately, many drugs have the opposite effect on teenagers as they do in adults. Subutex and Suboxone may help adults to break their addiction to painkillers with little or no withdrawal symptoms, but what effect does it have on teenagers with the same issues?
A study was done to answer this question recently, comparing the effects of two different drugs on teenagers who were addicted to opiates including heroin. One, of course, was Suboxone, and it was quickly and overwhelmingly proven to be more effective than any other treatment, especially in helping teens remain abstinent after their initial detox and adjustment phase.
One of the benefits of Suboxone is that there are millions of people who are prescribed opioid-based painkillers that are highly addictive. Just by following the prescription, responsible people with no history of drug use are finding themselves in the surprising predicament of a physical addiction to drugs. A long-term, inpatient program is not necessary; rather, a treatment that they can follow in the privacy of their own home as they continue to go to work and take care of their families is needed.
Teenagers who have just begun using drugs—whether because of a prescription for pain or an unintended addiction caused by recreational use—can benefit from Suboxone treatment in the same way. By maintaining school attendance and avoiding the stigma of drug rehab, teenagers can fix their mistake of drug use without the life changing consequences that can only make the situation worse.
Drug use among teenagers in the category of heroin and opiate prescription drugs has doubled in the past decade. Unlike lifelong heroin users who must face a wide range of issues when they decide to quit using drugs, teenagers can treat their physical addiction first as they keep up with their responsibilities and explore new ways of spending their spare time before their drug use becomes a way of life.
There aren’t many studies in the area of helping teens break their addiction to opiates but this one is a good start in the right direction as buprenorphine (Suboxone) is approved for use in teenagers 15 years of age and older.
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