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New drug may keep you sober no matter how much you've had to drink
Chinese tree extract has long been used as a hangover cure. Now it is being turned into a 'sobriety pill' that could cure alcoholism.
Tue, Jan 10 2012 at 2:18 AM
DRINK UP: It won't make any difference. (Photo: The Shopping Sherpa/Flickr)
Imagine a pill that could instantly sober you up no matter how much you've had to drink, or a hangover cure that worked minutes after swallowing it. Hardened drinkers rejoice: researchers are about to begin human trials on an "alcohol antidote" that may soon offer a cure to alcoholism, reports New Scientist.
The drug is a chemical called dihydromyricetin, or DHM, and is derived from a Chinese variety of the oriental raisin tree, which has been used for at least 500 years in China as an effective hangover cure. So far the extract has only been tested on boozing rats, but with promising results.
"DHM will reduce the degree of drunkenness for the amount of alcohol drunk and will definitely reduce the hangover symptoms," said Jing Liang, lead researcher in the study. "In time, it will reduce [an alcoholic's] desire for alcohol."
Liang first tested how well DHM alleviated drunken rats' clumsiness and loss of coordination by measuring how long it took them to right themselves after being laid on their backs. Rats were injected with an alcohol equivalent of a human drinking 15 to 20 beers in two hours to ensure that they were sufficiently wasted. As one would expect, it took the rats about 70 minutes just to get back up on their feet. After a milligram of DHM (per kilogram of rat body weight) was added to the mixture, however, the rats were able to right themselves in just five minutes.
The rats were next tested within a maze to see how well DHM neutralized hangover symptoms. Rats with a hangover typically react by cowering away in the corners of a maze, seemingly lacking motivation to seek an endpoint. But once those rats were given an appropriate dosage of DHM, their inquisitiveness was revived and they reacted just as rats that were given no alcohol at all.
Lastly, Liang tested whether DHM could cure alcohol addiction in rats. Boozy rodents were given a choice of drinking a sweetened solution of alcohol or sweetened water. Over a period of three months with DHM treatment, rats drank only a quarter the amount of alcohol that rats given no treatment drank.
Provided that the drug works as effectively in humans as it does in rats, DHM could be a breakthrough in the fight against alcoholism. But some researchers are concerned that it could eventually lead to more drinking rather than less. For instance, development of a similar compound called Ro15-4513 was abandoned several years ago due in part to such concerns.
"There was a lot of philosophical worry that an 'alcohol antidote' would entice people to consume alcohol and then count on being able to terminate the intoxicating effects on demand," said Markus Heilig, clinical director of the U.S. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.
It's certainly easy to imagine how such a drug could be abused. Drinkers could become intoxicated, then take a pill when it comes time to drive themselves home. Hangovers would also no longer be a deterrent to imbibing. But for those struggling to overcome an alcohol addiction — not to mention the 2.5 million people who are estimated to die every year due to alcoholism — the drug could be a godsend and well worth the risks.
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The drug is called suboxone, and is dangerous with benzos or alcohol, but can actually be mixed with other opiates to the extent that it can be used to reverse overdoses.
This drug will NEVER pass. There's too much upside for people in general. The ones who will fight this are the police, local govts.,cab co., tow truck drivers, and of coarse lawyers. Without DUI's the above mentioned parties would take a major hit to their revenue generating scams. As much as the police and courts "hate" drunk drivers, they NEED them. I would bet that a significant portion of their income comes from DUI cases!
so after all those trials, if the beaurocrats approve, we can be 500 years behind the Chinese.
This is an american website I assume. I am from England and here people drink to get drunk. Because they want to be drunk. They doesn't happen by accident or them not knowing their limits.
However, I can see this being used as a anti-hangover cure. Drink to the limit, enjoy the drunken night. Take it before bed and wake up go to go.
If anything it would increase alcohol consumption in England.
I am an alcoholic and often find myself too drunk for situations or drink too much before realizing how drunk I've gotten. I never drink and drive. I would appreciate the ability to sober up quickly.
I wonder if it acts as a competitive inhibitor for alcohol like anti-freeze does. Btw, if you ever drink anti-freeze, the only way to survive is by consuming an unholy amount of alcohol. I'm here to save lives.
Is that vice versa as well?
im sorry but how is it abuse if somebody takes a pill after drinking that will enable them to safely drive home?
I know, right? If it actually worked, think of how many lives would be saved.
Bring this drug on! If it saves one life (even the bozo who would drive drunk) then it is worth it. The moralists posting here who want to make sure everyone follows their strict rules should just quit posting (rather quit preaching) and go out and have some fun. Go get drunk....you may enjoy it.
this drug may b good but wht r the side affects and how did we learn about this n wouldnt this advertise drinking more to young people than whts already out there now tht people know about this drug whos to say tht this drug isnt gonna give people false hope or make the drinking population worst????
Great input Mr. Foot. I agree.
and party and party and party and party.
It's called crystal meth, been around for years. You can drink all you want and you ain't even gonna get drunk after a few lines of quality crank!
Didn't they give this to Takashi in Revenge Of The Nerds?
Well considering it would probably be cheaper and less time consuming than taking a come home and then having to retrieve your car the next day...
You can say this about practically every morbid disease.
If people abusing it really is such a major problem, then making it a prescription only drug would be better than abandoning the research or banning it.
There is no way this will cure alcoholism!! Drink, feel awesome, as soon as awesome feeling fades, take pill, rinse, repeat. It doesn't reduce dependency of alcohol, it reduces side effects, making the dependency that much easier to cope with
Not if you force-feed them this stuff. Like once a day a 5 big guys comes and wherever you are they just make you eat it and they go away. :D
I fail to see the "abuse" in sobering up fast. Seems like an excellent way to reduce drunk driving fatalities and hangover-related losses in productivity.
Other than a few stupid teens using this to destroy their own livers, could someone explain how the "abuse" mentioned in the article would be any more hazardous than the way things are now?
I could see this drug being abused. People could get hammered and then take a pill and feel like nothing bad is happening on the inside. While this may reduce DUI related deaths, there may be an increase in other alcohol related illnesses and death since now there wouldn't be an immediate detrimental effect of the alcohol on the body. Alcohol could become a "silent killer".
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