A Randomized Controlled Trial of Auricular Acupuncture for Cocaine Dependence

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Abstract
USE OF cocaine continues to be a serious problem in the United States. The 1998 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse reported 1.8 million current users, with a significant increase in use among those aged 18 to 25 years relative to the previous year.1 At present, there are few conventional treatments with demonstrated efficacy available for the treatment of this disorder. Given the lack of conventional treatments, an alternative therapy—auricular acupuncture, as codified by the National Acupuncture Detoxification Association (NADA)2—is in widespread use in drug treatment facilities across the country.3 Although a number of preliminary studies investigating the effectiveness of acupuncture for the treatment of cocaine addiction have reported positive results,4 findings from controlled studies have to date been inconclusive, with some studies reporting positive treatment effects for acupuncture,5-7 while others have reported finding no difference between acupuncture and controls.8-12