§ Lord Mancroftasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they have studied the proposals put forward by the Society of Biophysical Medicine for the treatment of heroin, methadone and cocaine addiction, and whether they think these proposals are worthy of further examination and encouragement.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health and Social Security (Baroness Trumpington)The information provided to the department by the Society of Biophysical Medicine about their use of electro-acupuncture in detoxifying drug misusers does not demonstrate that this method is superior to any other. The results of a comparative trial on the use of neuro-electro therapy and oral methadone in managing opiate withdrawal conducted at the Bethlem Royal Hospital were published in the British Journal of Psychiatry in 1984; though the number of patients involved in this trial was small and the results are therefore not conclusive, electro stimultation was found to be markedly inferior to methadone withdrawal treatment. I understand that a study is presently being undertaken by the National Institute for Mental Health in the United States of America. The department has indicated that it would be prepared to consider research proposals for a further comparative trial.
It is for the local health authority to consider whether it wishes to incorporate the clinic set up by the Society of Biophysical Medicine into their services for drug misusers.