Laboratory exposure to cocaine cues does not increase cocaine use by outpatient subjects

Sixty-nine cocaine-dependent outpatients were exposed to cocaine-related stimuli and to non-drug events on separate days. Cocaine cue sessions were always followed by a meeting with a trained clinician designed to eliminate any craving that remained following cue presentations. Urine samples were collected before each laboratory session and 1 to 3 days later. Neither rates of cocaine use nor average urine metabolite values differed following the two sessions. Nearly 90% of subjects had the same urine test result both before and after the cocaine cue session. Thus, laboratory presentation of cocaine cues to outpatient subjects did not increase their risk of subsequent drug-taking. These results suggest that with proper clinical protections, cue exposure can be used as a treatment outcome measure and a behavioral intervention in outpatient settings without increasing the risk of drug use.