A not-so-bitter pill

摘要

Thinking of taking a break from the booze? Many of us drink more than we probably should and wish we were better able to control our intake. Several drugs now in development could help us do just that. In 2012, alcohol played a part in 3.3 million deaths worldwide. Awareness campaigns and prevention services have done little to reduce the amount that people drink overall, and consumption has remained steady or increased around the world. The scale of the problem has led people, including David Nutt, a psychopharmacologist at Imperial College London, to want to try a different approach. Last month, a patent application was filed for a drug that is supposed to give people a pleasant intoxication as well as limit the amount they drink.