'I was killing myself': San Francisco program giving alcohol to addicts may save lives

Critics say the city is enabling addiction at taxpayers' expense, but defenders hail MAP for stabilizing a particularly vulnerable population.

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I used to administer benzos as part of the CIWA protocol. Why does this place give alcohol instead of benzos?
- I think because that to minimize damage for a full acute withdrawal. As I understand it, benzos increase GABA that is depleted from alcohol, because NMDA recovers more quickly and is excitable, causing the twitching, seizures, etc.
  
  This seems like a slow wean off with social and housing support to replace the dependency on alcohol. Kind of makes a lot of sense.

18 comments