The Deadly Cure for Alcoholism

...and of course this originated in Russia where more than 2 million people suffer from alcoholism. Every year in Russia 23,000 people die from alcohol poisoning and another 75,000 die from alcohol related diseases ( statistics obtained from RIA Novosti- a Russian news site ).That’s 98,000 people in total who die every year from alcohol alone!  Apparently it’s no myth about Russians and Vodka. With Russia losing so many people a year due to alcohol, something drastic needed to be done to cure the addiction and abuse. Surprisingly, doctors were able to come up with a solution that came in the form of a small pill. This amazing pill is called the Torpedo and has a record of working; the procedure itself requires that the pill is surgically inserted into the patient under the skin. If the patient drinks, the pill will release a compound into the bloodstream that will make the patient very sick and is old that it supposedly can cause death. The drug released into the bloodstream is actually a known substance used in the rubber industry called disulfuram. Disulfuram  blocks an enzyme from being absorbed by the liver which would have in turn converted the alcohol into acetic acid. Without this conversion a person can become very sick basically all the symptoms of hangover. Its no coincidence that those who worked in the rubber industry could not have alcohol. The torpedo pill is normally entered under the skin in the “buttocks" which is why they call it the torpedo because as the Russian doctors say "it sits in the butt and is kept the way a torpedo in a submarine is kept." It cost about $5,000 rubles to be administered ($170 US) and if one breaks and has a drink the doctor will also warn the patient that the poison is loose in the bloodstream and that they could have a heart attack or get cancer and that they need the antidote. But to get the antidote it costs even more, about 8,000 rubles ($300 US). This method not only uses fear as a motivator but hits patients in the pocketbook as well. Although this method is unconventional and pretty risky it has proven to work. This just shows us that most barriers in life just call for a little self control and are most of the time psychological barriers that can be overcome with a little fear and financial stress lighting the fire under our feet.