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[Cecilff2]

http://io9.com/5725864/cocaine-vaccine-could-make-drug-addiction-a-distant-memory

So researchers paired up a cocaine-ish molecule with a virus and injected it into mice.

The result?
The mice developed anti bodies that target cocaine.

[Puzzlemaker]

Whoa, that is both scary and awesome.

"Come on children, get your drug shots!"

[ChairmanPoo]

Sounds a less than good idea. Many drugs can have a therapeutic use that would be blocked this way. Plus, what about the drug-bound antibodies? This could end up with the formation of immune complexes, causing damage to different tissues.

[Puzzlemaker]

I can see for a severe addict who is trying to quit.  It would probably cause damage, but less so then the actual drug addiction.

[Cecilff2]

I can see for a severe addict who is trying to quit.  It would probably cause damage, but less so then the actual drug addiction.

I don't think it would help a person that is already an addict.  It doesn't reverse the damage already caused, it just destroys the drug molecules if they enter the body.  Drug addicts will still crave it, but won't be able to get the effects.  I think it's more of a preventative sort of thing.  In which case I can see this becoming an issue in the future.

"Vaccinate your children against drugs!"

[Zangi]

Drug use will increase as a social thing like alcohol... people will think its safer after they are vaccinated.

[Dwarf]

Uhm, just that there is no point at all in taking drugs when they are destroyed by your system.

[Sowelu]

Drug use will increase as a social thing like alcohol... people will think its safer after they are vaccinated.

There's no way to vaccinate against alcohol.  It's not a complex, low-volume, neurochemical...thing, it's a toxin that you imbibe in very large volume.

Although if you could train your immune system to protect you against alcohol, imagine what else it could do.  Vaccinate yourself against cyanide!  Or antifreeze!

[Zangi]

Uhm, just that there is no point at all in taking drugs when they are destroyed by your system.

Hypothetically... your non-vaccinated druggie friends invite you to hang around and take a hit. 

Drug use will increase as a social thing like alcohol... people will think its safer after they are vaccinated.

There's no way to vaccinate against alcohol.  It's not a complex, low-volume, neurochemical...thing, it's a toxin that you imbibe in very large volume.

Although if you could train your immune system to protect you against alcohol, imagine what else it could do.  Vaccinate yourself against cyanide!  Or antifreeze!

Who knows, maybe there will be unintended side-effects... or maybe the tin label is misleading...

[nenjin]

Man, if this goes over big, some kids are going to be super pissed when they get to college. Do a line of blow and have an allergic reaction to it.

For extreme cases of addiction though, this would be beneficial I think, at least to bring someone back closer to center.

[Max White]

Hmm, I weep for human rights. Ok, so I'm no expert on human rights, but still, I don't like the implications of this, nor the slope it points to.

[optimumtact]

@Max I don't quite understand your position here, we already have many many vaccinations for diseases/viruses that are bad for us. As long as this one stays non mandatory I can't see it being a clear violation of human rights. If it goes mandatory then it will have to have good reason for doing so. But I for one would support mandatory vaccination against most if not all hard drugs (ie P or Heroin) as long as there were no major serious side effects from this.

[Max White]

There is a differance between vaccinations against something forced upon you, like a virus, and something you choose, like a drug. Granted, the choice is illegal and bad for your health, but when we stop people from doing things from birth because it is 'in there best intrust' were going to end up in a very bad place.

[Armok]

It's have to be "voluntary".

[Max White]

It's have to be "voluntary".

One would hope. Yet if it became well known that there was an injection that would stop your child from ever becoming one of those junkies, do you realy think there would be many parents not demanding this for there child? Then it gets rolled out as part of the govenment package, and things go from there.