While we wish it weren't so, there is no easy cure for opioid addiction. Unfortunately, in the face of our country's opioid epidemic, lots of opportunistic entities have turned up trying to peddle products that provide a quick fix to this persistent disease. Following a rise in the online advertising of deceptive "miracle treatments" for opioid withdrawal and addiction, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) partnered with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to put these deceptive and manipulative online marketers on notification. For more information, we talked with Mamie Kresses, a senior attorney in the FTC's Division of Advertising Practices.

The National Center on Dependency and Drug Abuse (CASA): What are the so-called " wonder treatments" for opioid dependency being advertised online?

Mamie Kresses (MK): We have actually seen a great deal of marketing of products that claim to either treat the signs of withdrawal and/or to help people conquer their dependency long-lasting. Many of these products are vitamins, minerals, or herbal blends that declare to assist you get through withdrawal, and by virtue of doing that, assist you kick your reliance more completely.

CASA: Exists any reality to the claims these products make?

MK: We have actually worked with professionals in the field of dependency medicine and they have actually told us there is no evidence that these herbal blends will assist you conquer the symptoms of withdrawal and there is definitely no evidence they will help you overcome dependency.

CASA: What is the damage in these items?

MK: Bypassing the opportunity to get a tested treatment, such as medication-assisted treatment, for something that is absolutely untried and unproven is a lost chance genuine help and is potentially dangerous. You can not market a product unless it has been tested in a skilled and dependable scientific style. Specifically a product claiming to treat a severe illness such as opioid use condition.

CASA: What are you doing to assist stop this deceitful advertising?

MK: In a joint project in between the FTC and FDA, we have actually sent out alerting letters to 11 companies our company believe are marketing unverified treatments for opioid addiction. We hope the result of these letters is to get these ads taken down and these products off the market and to minimize the mess for those who are trying to find genuine help. The FTC likewise partnered with Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to publicize hotline resources for seeking reliable treatment alternatives across the nation.

CASA: Have you heard back from any of the companies kratom that received letters?

MK: Yes, we have actually gotten actions. We are continuing to keep track of that space and have seen numerous deceptive claims gotten rid of from the web. Definitely not all of them, but I believe you would likewise find that if you were to look for the products, some of them are no longer available for sale. I believe there has actually been a motion based upon the letters to fix the marketplace in some relates to.

To read more about avoiding items misleadingly marketed as treatments for opioid withdrawal or addiction, inspect out this resource produced by the FTC in partnership with SAMHSA: Getting the Right Assist for Opioid Dependence or Withdrawal.

To make a grievance about a product making misleading or unproven claims visit the FTC grievance assistant site.

And remember, a remedy for dependency does not yet exist, so anything promoted as such is deceiving and unsafe. Addiction is a really intricate illness and, although there are interventions and treatments that can reduce the symptoms and assist people lead typical healthy lives, there is no basic quick repair.