Ozempic could Cut Alcohol & Smoking Habits

A new study has found that Ozempic and other semaglutide drugs may help people cut back on drinking and smoking.

The drugs, primarily used for weight loss and type 2 diabetes treatment, also appear to reduce cravings for alcohol and nicotine.

Scientists at the University of Southern California conducted a nine-week trial to explore these effects, confirming anecdotal reports from Ozempic and Wegovy users.

The trial involved 48 people with alcohol use disorder, a condition that leaves individuals unable to control their drinking despite harmful consequences.

All female participants had consumed more than seven drinks a week and had at least two heavy drinking episodes in the past month.

Male participants had consumed more than 14 drinks a week with similar heavy drinking episodes.

At the end of the study, participants given low doses of semaglutide reduced their drinking significantly compared to those given a placebo.

The injections decreased weekly alcohol cravings, reduced the number of drinks consumed on drinking days, and lowered the number of heavy drinking episodes.

In fact, the semaglutide injections were more effective than existing medications for treating alcohol use disorder.

The study also revealed that participants who smoked saw a noticeable drop in their daily cigarette consumption.

Professor Christian Hendershot, who led the study, said:

“The popularity of Ozempic and other [similar drugs] increases the chances of broad adoption of these treatments for alcohol use disorder.”

Alcohol-related deaths remain a growing public health concern.

In 2023, more than 8,200 people in England died from alcohol-related causes, a 42% increase compared to 2019, according to Public Health England.

Alcohol is also linked to over 60 diseases, including liver damage, heart disease, and several cancers.

Despite the availability of two medications approved to treat alcohol use disorder, they are not widely used. However, experts believe the rising popularity of semaglutide drugs could change that.

Originally developed to help regulate blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes, semaglutide mimics a hormone called GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1).

It slows digestion, reduces appetite, and may also affect the brain’s reward system, potentially lowering cravings for substances like alcohol and nicotine.

As these drugs gain mainstream attention, researchers are calling for further trials to confirm their potential as treatments for addiction.