A new tool has shown promising results in fighting addiction.

At the Scott County Detention Center.

The net device is an electronic method of easing withdrawal symptoms for people with substance use problems.

For some of the 22 inmates who have used the net device, drug cravings are now a thing of the past.

Been on heroin, everything else for 45 years.

Pretty much straight through.

And since I've been on it, I haven't thought about it.

I don't wake up with the cravings.

I don't have the dreams, and not anymore coming off of it.

I've never woke up since I was maybe 15 without some kind of craving for planning for the day, for getting high on whatever I was doing at the time.

But I don't have those anymore.

It has a small control module which is about the size of an iPhone or a Walkman.

It has a couple of electrodes that come off of that.

The two electrodes attach behind the ears on the individual that wants to utilize it, to help minimize the effects of the withdrawals.

They can self-administer using this device.

Low levels of electrical stimulation.

It has been shown for about half the individuals that use it, that they lose the cravings for the substance that they were addicted to.

They, like put it on the back of your ears, on both sides.

And, like, I like it's like a shot, but it's like kind of like a vibration.

Not really a shock, but, you stay on it for however, like, I think 7 to 10 days.

It's really based on you like, how you are in your withdrawal process.

I went through zero withdrawal symptoms, which is rare.

I mean, I'm come out to two grams a day.

Had it when I came in and nothing.

I mean, I can tell you I was eating the next day.

No cramps, no extreme tremors, nothing that makes that individual easier to care for and maintain custody of.

While they're going through the withdrawals.

So in that sense, it makes it a little bit easier for the staff.

And, and the individual takes less resources.

That was on the net device for eight days.

The first four days were for, amphetamines and, opioids.

And the second four days was straight, particularly for cocaine.

And I've been off for 60 days now, and I've been 60 days clean in my life, and I didn't feel like I do now.

I mean, I've been 15 years clean in my life and I don't feel like I feel now.

I've been here before and didn't have the device and I was coming off of methadone, so had withdrawal symptoms.

That's the course you're going to.

But, wasn't really like, as bad, like, and I think if I didn't have that net device thing this time, I'd probably still be really, really sick.

I have reprogram my mind, because at the time, you know, when we come off of meth, you know, it's just it's a lot of psychosis with it.

So therefore, it's a particular urges and, everything that I was going through as far as, depression and everything, I.

After the person has completed the device program, we do a post-treatment assessment of the individual.

And part of that post treatment assessment is.

Yes, to ask them what their experience was like on the device, but also to offer them the opportunity of rehab.

We want to follow up with the counseling at rehab to address the issues.

May be why they started drug use to begin with.

Offer the peer support and offer, the, work, the job related support that they can get, at the rehab facility.

So if we can do the device and we can do the rehab, it's the one two punch.

And that's the ideal way that we can, kind of attack this issue.

We all, as community members, have a vested interest in trying to positively impact these individuals while we have them.

And that's what we try to do here at the Scott County Detention Center.

We want to positively impact them so that when they leave here, they have the best opportunity to get out and be on a different path, a different path than what they were on when they got arrested and brought to jail.

Promising results.

The net device is also being used at the Isaiah House Rehabilitation Center and several other jails in the Commonwealth.