UK Study Says VR Could Help People Beat Cocaine Addiction

A UK-based trial court has used virtual reality technology to combat cocaine addiction by placing users in real-life scenarios to manage cravings. Millions of people are impacted by the cocaine addiction epidemic.

As per The Guardian report, the researchers have found ways to overcome the addiction. This is done by exposing the users to tempting scenarios with the help of virtual reality in a safe environment.

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The project draws on the experience of drug users to create tailored 3D experiences, such as being alone in a flat or at a party with friends. In such an environment, the users will find themselves immersed via VR headsets in realistic situations that trigger the urge to take on drugs.

Studies have already proven that “cue exposure treatment” can substantially reduce cravings and relapse in recovering alcoholics. However, this approach has not been fully tested as a potential treatment for cocaine addiction.

The leader researcher and professor of King’s College London, Paolo Deluca said the virtual reality world should help users break the association between tempting scenarios and their cocaine use and will give them time to practice tactics for refusing drugs.

“We are trying to better understand the scenarios – the cues and interactions – that trigger cravings in people who use cocaine,” he said while speaking to Guardian.

The is one of the 11 projects announced on Friday as part of the 12 million Pounds government’s investment to reduce drug overdoses through virtual reality, artificial intelligence, and wearable technology.

The number of people using illicit drugs has increased to 292 million, the UNODC report says in the decade to 2022, as per the UN reports.

Another project which is being backed by the programme is investigating whether a wearable device that talks to a chest-worn breathing monitor can detect when a person has overdosed. If the device suspects an overdose, it will immediately notify emergency services that have access to an antidote.

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One of the most effective antidotes for the heroine or methadone overdose is naloxone but the treatment is typically available only in form of injections or nasal spray and thus cannot be used in time. To make the drug accessible, another team at King’s is looking into naloxone wafers that can deliver the antidote by melting in the mouth.