Officials warn of ‘meth cure’ ads

Wed, 08/22/2007
by Matt Simonette
Chicago Free Press


Chicago Crystal Meth Task Force officials and local mental health experts last week warned that ads appearing in some gay publications and offering a pharmaceutical treatment for meth addiction might be promising more than they can deliver.

CCMTF’s Jim Pickett said that ads for Prometa, a drug protocol currently in clinical trials manufactured by Los Angeles-based Hythiam, Inc., paints an overly simplistic picture of the recovery process.

“Their protocol purports to reduce cravings for meth. But a protocol like this will never deal with the psychosocial (aspects) of the disease. For someone to be treated, we have to look at all of those,” Pickett said.

The ad depicts two men together in a bathtub, behind the headline, “He means the world to you. Meth means the world to him. How will you treat it?”

The copy further reads, “You didn’t choose to fall in love with a meth addict. But you do have a choice in helping him get clean and back to the life you want, away from addiction. Now there’s a promising new treatment protocol that includes medical, nutritional, and psychological aspects.”

A sidebar ad delivers the fine print, explaining that clinical studies on the treatment are still underway, and that the medications used in the treatment are FDA approved for purposes other than addiction.

Pickett said that he is most concerned that some consumers who see the ad might not fully explore all their treatment options.

“It’s a provocative ad. It’s depicting an intense time. (But) you have to have some comparison. When you’re in crisis, some people don’t want to step back and take a moment and consider their choices,” he said.

Kevin Osten, a psychologist with Valeo Recovery Center at Lakeshore Hospital, agreed.

“Everyone’s looking for the magic pill. There will never be one. Treatment will always have to be supported by mental work,” Osten said.

He added that most of the research on Prometa has followed patients for less than 90 days.

“They’ve used really small sample sizes, too,” Osten said. “This seems to be a case of promoting first and researching later. …From a provider’s side I hope it does work. I just don’t think now is the time to be making these kinds of claims.”

Pickett said that anyone seeking treatment for addiction needs to be “a thoughtful consumer and ask questions— feel like you are informed.”

He added, “They need to ask providers, ‘What are the success rates? How do you define success? What are the risks? How are people after 90 days?’”

“Remember, when we see the doctor, we’re the boss. We sometimes forget that,” Pickett said.

[click here for a list of the questions you should ask of any treatment provider]