Collin County, Texas Adopts Hythiam\'s PROMETA(R) Treatment Program

 Hythiam, Inc. (NASDAQ:HYTM) today announced the adoption of the
PROMETA(R) Treatment Program for the treatment of the methamphetamine
and cocaine dependent individuals within the probation, parole and
re-entry programs in Collin County, Texas. This announcement follows
the completion of a successful pilot evaluation within this
felony-offender population. Participants in the pilot were the more
difficult to treat, general felony offenders, and not those within an
intensive, supervised drug court program. At a total population of
about 500,000 people, Collin County has placed about 11,000 persons on
probation alone in the past year, a large number of these sentencings
attributed to drug-related crimes.
 

 "This pilot evaluation of the PROMETA Treatment Program has
exceeded both our expectations and the results we have seen from other
substance dependence treatments," said Justice Charles Sandoval of
Collin County's 380th Judicial District Court. "This is a difficult,
non-compliant felony population that historically consumes a lot of
our resources. Our hope is that deploying the PROMETA Treatment
Program on a wider scale will allow us to better manage this group and
reduce the associated criminal recidivism and economic burden."
 

 Of the 19 individuals that participated in the pilot program, 74%
(14) did not test positive for drug use during the pilot. Of the 218
drug screens that were collected, 96% (210) were negative for drugs.
Twenty individuals initially volunteered for the pilot, one of whom
was excluded by the court as not suitable to participate. One
individual who did not test positive for drugs was incarcerated on a
non-drug charge, five individuals were re-incarcerated for drug use,
and two individuals who had not tested positive for drugs had
outstanding warrants at the end of the pilot.
 

 "We are well aware that today there are some 5 million people in
need of treatment within the U.S. Criminal Justice System, and that
the penal system has had a lot of difficulty managing criminal
offenders who are addicted to drugs," said Terren Peizer, Hythiam's
Chairman and CEO. "The ongoing momentum we are experiencing in the
deployment of the PROMETA Treatment Program is a result of the
desperate need to counter economic and social burdens imposed upon
communities by this population. We are pleased to be involved in this
collaborative effort, one that includes participation from state,
judicial, and law enforcement programs within the State of Texas, to
bring the PROMETA Treatment Program as a rehabilitation option to this
population. Going forward, we expect these pathways we have
established in visionary states such as Texas and Washington to serve
as templates for the widespread utilization of the PROMETA Treatment
Program throughout the country."
 

 Collin County, which comprises both Texas' 67th congressional
district and its 380th judicial district, will move forward with
implementing and funding the program. Justice Charles Sandoval of the
380th judicial district and Jerry Madden, Chairman of the House
Corrections Committee and Congressional representative for the 67th
congressional district, both provided guidance and oversight for the
pilot. Representative Madden has been instrumental in procuring an
initial state legislative allocation of $2 million for Texas PROMETA
Treatment Program funding in other jurisdictions. This announcement
also follows the recent adoption of the PROMETA Treatment Program in
Denton County, Texas.
 

 About the PROMETA(R) Treatment Program
 

 Hythiam's PROMETA(R) Treatment Program is designed for use by
healthcare providers seeking to treat individuals diagnosed with
dependencies to alcohol, cocaine or methamphetamine, as well as
combinations of these drugs. The PROMETA(R) Treatment Program includes
nutritional supplements, FDA-approved oral and IV medications used
off-label and separately administered in a unique dosing algorithm, as
well as psychosocial or other recovery-oriented therapy chosen by the
patient and his or her treatment provider. As a result, PROMETA(R)
represents an innovative approach to managing alcohol, cocaine, or
methamphetamine dependence that is designed to address physiological,
nutritional, and psychosocial aspects of the disease, and is thereby
intended to offer patients an opportunity to achieve sustained
recovery. To learn more, please visit www.prometainfo.com.
 

 About Hythiam, Inc.
 

 Hythiam, Inc. provides behavioral health management services to
health plans, employers, criminal justice, and government agencies
through a network of licensed and company managed providers. The
company approaches the management of behavioral health disorders with
a focus on using the latest medical and health technology towards
improved outcomes and out-patient treatment. Hythiam also researches,
develops, licenses and commercializes innovative and proprietary
physiological, nutritional, and behavioral treatment programs. Hythiam
offers disease management for substance dependence built around its
proprietary PROMETA(R) Treatment Program for alcoholism and dependence
to stimulants. The PROMETA(R) Treatment Program, which integrates
behavioral, nutritional, and medical components, is available through
both licensed treatment providers and company managed PROMETA(R)
Centers. Hythiam does not practice medicine or manufacture,
distribute, or sell any medications and has no relationship with any
manufacturers or distributors of medications used in the PROMETA(R)
Treatment Program. For further information, please visit
www.hythiam.com.
 

 Forward-Looking Statements
 

 Except for statements of historical fact, the matters discussed in
this press release are forward-looking and made pursuant to the Safe
Harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of
1995. These forward-looking statements reflect numerous assumptions
and involve a variety of risks and uncertainties, many of which are
beyond the company's control that may cause actual results to differ
materially from stated expectations. These risk factors include, among
others, limited operating history and lack of statistically
significant formal research studies, the risk that treatment programs
might not be effective, difficulty in developing, exploiting and
protecting proprietary technologies, intense competition and
substantial regulation in the healthcare industry; and additional
risks factors as discussed in the reports filed by the company with
the Securities and Exchange Commission, which are available on its
website at http://www.sec.gov.
 

 SOURCE: Hythiam, Inc.
 

 Hythiam
Ashely Anderson, Director, Corporate Communications
310-444-4343
aanderson@hythiam.com
or
Dan Klores Communications
Tim Sullivan, 212-981-5234
tim_sullivan@dkcnews.com