Opiod Detox Supplement Scams

As sure as the sun rises in the east, every time there is some new public health issue, the supplement peddling charlatans crawl out from under their rocks to take advantage of people's misery. As if the millions of Americans  struggling with opioid drug addition did not have enough problems to contend with, now they are beset with, at best, unproven and ineffective supplements claiming to ease their transition off the drugs. At worst, these products may cause people to fail to seek help and even cost them their lives.

"There is no credible evidence that dietary supplements can help with the prevention of opiate addiction, detoxification, relapse prevention or recovery," says Bachaar Arnaout, addiction psychologist and assistant professor at the Yale School of Medicine. "These supplement companies are giving false hope to people who desperately need to get better."

The makers of Mitadone Anti Opiate Aid Plus ($40 for a one month supply) claim their product "helps ease withdrawal symptoms" and "helps you quit". The basis for their claims? According to the company, "We don't really have any scientific studies as it currently takes years and millions of dollar to do that."

The manufacturer of Opiate Detox Pro agrees. "Scientific studies are very costly, so no, there is no study."

"It is appalling that companies are profiting from the opioid epidemic by offering untested products whose use does not even correspond to the biology of opioid addiction," said Arnaout. "The heartbreaking thing is that we do have FDA approved medications that do work for treating opioid addiction."

But, hey, which is really more important? A few more dead opioid addicts or a second home for a supplement company CEO?

Full disclosure: My business is helping people improve their lives though lifestyle enhancements, including the use of sensible supplements. So these sort of low lifes really piss me off.