FRANKFORT, Ky. (FOX 56) — In Franklin County, medical leaders are turning to a new technology to help ease drug withdrawal symptoms: a device called Neuro-Electrical Therapy (NET).
Franklin County has secured more than $200,000 in state funding, a portion of which has been earmarked for implementing NET.
Third District Magistrate Judge Kelly Dycus expressed enthusiasm for the new technology.
“They put electrodes behind the ear, but they stimulate both sides. What I like most about it is that it’s not another opioid,” Dycus said.
The decision to invest $75,000 in NET is one of the ways the county is trying to find effective solutions for addiction recovery, with the initial focus being on helping 15 local people who are trying to overcome addiction.
“We hope that those who need it most will take advantage of this program,” Dycus added. “We’ll be able to track their progress and we really hope that we can continue this program and serve even more people.”
She said one of the main advantages of the treatment is that it is FDA approved and non-invasive.
“There is nothing in the device that will harm you, withdrawal symptoms are dramatically reduced within a few days, and after seven days of consistent use, the likelihood of relapse is significantly reduced,” Dycus argued.
She said she has seen the impact of the opioid epidemic firsthand and is grateful for the cutback funding and for those struggling to use the equipment.
“We’re really happy to get this funding because we’ve been fighting for so long, longer than we could ever imagine, that we don’t even know how many years we’ve been fighting, but it’s only gotten worse every year,” Dycus said.
Kentucky received $478.1 million in an opioid abatement settlement, to be paid in installments through 2038.
