NEWS
MAN IN CHINA HAD CHIP IMPLANT IN THE BRAIN TO KICK ALCOHOL ADDICTION
By Tony Zhu
26-4-2023
Source: Weibo
A man in China with 15 years of alcohol addiction history has become the first person to receive a surgically implanted chip in the brain designed to remove his craving for alcohol.
The man, 36, underwent a five-minute procedure on 12 April at the Hunan Brain Hospital in central China.
The operation is part of a clinical trial led by Hao Wei, an expert in substance abuse who is also a former vice-president of the United Nation’s International Narcotics Control Board.
According to Hao, the chip will release naltrexone – a substance commonly used in addiction treatment to prevent relapse – to receptors in the patient’s brain and is expected to combat alcohol cravings for up to five months.
The patient told local Chinese media that his daily routine before the treatment was to drink a bottle of Chinese liquor before breakfast, and continue drinking throughout the day at work and into the evening until he passed out.
His addiction has become more serious in the past five years, almost destroyed his life and his relationships with those close to him.
His health condition suffered as well, he has been diagnosed with 24 medical conditions, including encephalography and electrolyte disturbance.
“I’ve tried hard to beat my alcohol addiction many times but always failed,” he said.
He was initially anxious about getting the implant but said he was surprised at how quick and easy the procedure was.
“It only took five minutes, and then I bid farewell to alcohol,” he said.
A 2018 report by The Lancet medical journal found that China topped the world for alcohol-related deaths.
There were 650,000 such deaths among men and 59,000 among women in 2017, the report said.
Men, aged 45 to 59 years old, were found to be the biggest consumers of alcohol in China.
(the writer can be contacted at: info@thewinechronicle.com)
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