Scientists have found a medication which helps control the cravings for smoking and drinking. This medication binds with the cells in the pleasure cells which are generally the target site for alcohol and smoking.
The medication I am talking about is known as varnicline (brand name Chantix) and is currently sold as and anti-smoking medication. Research shows that it can also be used to help drinkers stop drinking. This medication is currently available in the US only. This medication is also considered for many general uses like gambling, addiction to pain medications, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.
As is usually the case other researchers have cautioned against this unfounded optimism. They say that there is no "magic pill for all ills". Pfizer Inc. developed the drug for the specific purpose of stopping smoking. The fact is that it latches onto the same receptors in the brain as nicotine binds to when inhaled in cigarette smoke. This action leads to the release of dopamine in the brain's pleasure centers. Scientists state that taking the drug blocks smoked nicotine from reinforcing its addictive effects.
Work done on rats show that the drug (Varenicline = Chantix) acts on both the nicotine and alcohol center. In applied terms this means that since it makes smoking less rewarding, it could do the same for drinking.
"The biggest thrill is that this drug, which has already proved safe for people trying to stop smoking, is now a potential drug to fight alcohol dependence", Quote from Selena Bartlett, a University neurologist. We all know that smoking and drinking go together. It sounds probable that this drug could work to curb both addictions.
One other quote from de Fiebe, an independent scientist "This is an extremely important paper and hopefully it will convince the major funding agencies that they need to examine the interactions between nicotine and alcohol to a greater extent than they have done to date,"
University of California researchers and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism are planning the first studies using human subjects. Evaluating the effectiveness of this drug curbing alcohol cravings and dependence will be helpful in the treatment and management of alcoholism and smoking habits. Bartlett said. That the drug is already Food and Drug Administration-approved should speed things along.
"This is a drug that people are actually using. That's not trivial - not at all," said Mark Egli, co-leader of the medications development program at the NIAAA, part of the National Institutes of Health. "There is plenty of animal research that looks pretty cool but there is no way those drugs are ever going to be used by human beings."
The funny side of this research is that researchers first trained rats to drink alcohol. They made the rats to become the equivalent of “heavy drinkers”. They then gave varenicline to these heavy drinkers and measured the effect of this medication. The researchers discovered that the rats stopped drinking. Some even when stopped drinking completely. ?Without psychological counselling. The rats which resumed drinking did not binge drink. Human studies showed that varenicline doesn't work for all patients (smokers). It is unlikely it would work for all drinkers.
