July/August 2002
HEALTH BYTES

Acupuncture may treat cocaine addiction

  Auricular acupuncture may reduce drug use in cocaine-addicted patients, according to a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine. In the study, Yale researchers followed 52 cocaine-dependent, methadone-maintained patients for eight weeks. Each weekday, patients received either auricular acupuncture, needle insertion at inactive points or relaxation sessions. The study found that those in the acupuncture group were more likely to provide consecutive cocaine-negative urine samples throughout the study than those in the other groups.