Monthly Injections of Anti-Abuse Drug Help Homeless Alcoholics Reduce Drinking

Monthly injections of the anti-abuse drug naltrexone, coupled with counseling, can help homeless alcoholics reduce their drinking, a new study suggests.

The researchers found 33 percent of study participants had decreases in alcohol craving; 25 percent reduced the amount of alcohol consumed on a typical day; 34 percent reduced the amount they drank on a peak drinking day; 17 percent had a decrease in frequency of alcohol use; and 60 percent had a decrease in problems associated with alcohol use.

Naltrexone “acts as a pacifier to quiet brain receptors that are crying out for more alcohol,” said lead researcher Susan Collins, PhD of the University of Washington. “Abstinence-based alcohol treatment has not been effective for or desirable to many homeless people with alcohol dependence,” she added.

While alcohol treatment programs for homeless people generally expect participants to stop drinking, the study used a non-judgmental approach, PsychCentral reports. Participants met regularly with physicians, and were in control of setting their own goals. They were not asked if they wanted to reduce their drinking. Instead, they were asked, “What would you like to see happen for yourself?” Many participants volunteered they wanted to reduce their drinking.

The study is published in Substance Abuse. The researchers are now conducting a study sponsored by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism to confirm these preliminary findings, according to a university news release.