Howard Lotsof was 19, addicted to heroin and searching for a new high
in 1962 when he swallowed a bitter-tasting white powder taken from an
exotic West African shrub.
“The next thing I knew,” he told The New York Times in 1994, “I was straight.”
MAPS is currently studying the long-term effects of ibogaine treatment on patients presently undergoing therapy at Pangea Biomedics in Playas De Tijuana, Mexico.
MAPS is collecting observational data for the first prospective
ibogaine outcome study in order to contribute to the growing scientific
literature about ibogaine as a treatment for drug addiction. However,
due to lack of funding, MAPS is not currently sponsoring clinical
trials intended to turn ibogaine into a prescription medicine.
Can a root that grows in West Africa successfully treat heroin addicts and break the cycle of addiction? Ibogaine is a derivative of the West African root Iboga. It's properties have recently been reported as an effective treatment for drug addiction.
Dave is a former stockbroker whose life has spiraled out of control due to heroin addiction. A one-tie millionaire, he is now reduced to petty theft as a means to supply his habit. Desperate to get help, Dave travels to Mexico for the Ibogaine treatment. Facing The Habit is an intimate lok into the life of an addict, as Dave's life is revealed before, during and after the treatment.
