The Cure

Are you an alcoholic or one of those white people with a "jones" for cocaine? Researchers have produced a lasting anti-cocaine immunity in mice by giving them a safe vaccine that combines bits of the common cold virus with a particle that mimics cocaine. This novel strategy might be the first to offer cocaine addicts a fairly simple way to break and reverse their habit, and it might also be useful in healing other addictions, such as to nicotine, heroin and other opiates. (NOTE: Subscribers can still listen to this special interview).

Researcher Ronald G. Crystal says, "Our very dramatic data shows that we can protect mice against the effects of cocaine, and we think this approach could be very promising in fighting addiction in humans. An approach that works is desperately needed for cocaine addiction, which is an intransigent problem worldwide. There are no therapies now." Researchers would like to find a cure for alcoholism too. For the first time in alcohol addiction research, investigators have successfully treated alcohol-dependent individuals with medication that is tailored specifically to match their genetic profile. Researcher Bankole Johnson says, "Although this treatment approach accounts for nearly one-third of patients with alcohol dependence, more research is needed to identify alcoholics with other genetic variations who will respond significantly to alternative medications. Our findings, however, are a major step into the forefront of modern medicine."

Wow, there’s finally a cure for addictions, but there’s just NO cure for your addiction to unknowncountry.com, so might as well just give in to it. And if you want to give yourself the FULL DOSE, subscribe today and enjoy wonderful extras, like listening to Whitley read stories from his privately printed book Evenings with Demons, in the "Whitley’s Room" section of our subscriber section. One of the best ones–which he reads WITH sound effects–is his Halloween story "The Good Neighbor," and his latest is "Secret Zoos." And now you can listen to the first chapter of Whitley’s now novel "Hybrids," which will be published in April!