TAVAD Announces First Videogame Where Virtual Use of Cocaine is Used to Prevent AddictionMADRID, Spain--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 31, 2005--The Spanish company TAVAD (Advanced Addiction Treatments) has announced the first videogame in the world which allows the virtual use of cocaine during a motorcycle racing game. The game aims at preventing drug use among young people by acting as a psychological vaccine against cocaine.
By using information technology, which is one of the most familiar and most widely-accepted tools among the youth, players can virtually suffer the experience of cocaine tolerance and dependence.
The game gives players the choice of taking part in a motorcycle race either "without drugs" or "with cocaine". If they choose to use cocaine, players begin the race with the feeling that they are very likely to win; but their possibilities plunge to zero as their cocaine tolerance increases, their skills begin to vanish, and their need to use the drug becomes more frequent. They find themselves forced to stop continuously, in order to "stock up" and take their dose, without which they cannot stay in the race.
This preventive videogame offers the great advantage of allowing players to experience the negative consequences of cocaine use without taking any risk since it is purely virtual and any actual contact with cocaine is avoided. In addition, this game is widely available, since it can be played online at
http://www.tavad.com/juego-adiccion-virtual.htm using simple computer equipment.
TAVAD has invested 4 years of research and 350,000 EUR in the development of this preventive system. The company intends to invest an additional sum of 200,000 EUR to promote new updates in the next two years.
TAVAD was founded in 1988 with the goal of providing treatment for people addicted to psychoactive substances, as well as carrying out scientific research to improve treatments and prevent addictions.
TAVAD's treatments against cocaine, heroine, alcohol and benzodiacepine (tranquilizers) addictions are based on neuronal recovery and are currently being administered in hospitals in Madrid and the US.
TAVAD's technology is also present in the US through its partnership with HYTHIAM, a company listed in the Nasdaq exchange. TAVAD has managed to take the issue of addiction from lesser recognized levels and raise it the level of begin listed in one of the main Stock Exchanges in the US.
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