Pubdate: Fri, Oct 15 1999 Source: Orange County Register (CA) Copyright: 1999 The Orange County Register Contact: http://www.ocregister.com/ DOCTOR HALTS PROCESS LINKED TO 6 DEATHS A doctor who agreed to stop treating heroin addicts with a controversial rapid-detoxification procedure linked by New Jersey state investigators to the deaths of six of his patients defended the practice Thursday, saying, "I was trying to help." Dr. Lance Gooberman reached an agreement Wednesday with the state Board of Medical Examiners that temporarily bars him from performing the treatment at his clinic in Cherry Hill. He is among only a dozen doctors in the country to perform the treatment, touted as a swift and relatively painless cure for heroin addicts, who are anesthetized while drugs cleanse their brains of heroin. The treatment costs $2,900 to $3,600. In a complaint filed earlier this month, the state said the treatment is too risky and cited the deaths of six people who underwent the procedure - known as Ultra Rapid Opiate Detoxification. The deaths occurred between 1995 and June. - --- MAP posted-by: manemez j lovitto