Reducing substance abuse
An unusual side effect of the latest appetite-suppressing weight-loss drugs is that they appear to reduce cravings for other substances, including alcohol, opioids, and cannabis. A recent article from the Financial Times (linked below) suggests a future in which, rather than targeting specific addictions individually, a single medication could reduce cravings more broadly. This has significant implications for understanding and treating substance abuse.
Reducing substance abuse
If you haven't already, visit the Financial Times online and sign up your students and yourself for free access to FT articles. This is an excellent way to get everyday examples of psychological theories and concepts. This month’s article examines an unexpected side effect of GLP-1 medicines (glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists). These drugs are commonly used to treat type 2 diabetes and obesity. They work by mimicking a natural hormone, GLP-1, which is released in the gut after eating and helps regulate appetite and blood sugar levels. Although they have been used to treat diabetes for nearly two decades, they have recently surged in popularity as highly effective weight-loss treatments.
Your students should click on the link to read Obesity jab users show lower risk of alcohol and drug addictions.
My article for a school psychology class is here, with questions for students, and the suggested answers are in the blog post below. However, before students try to answer the questions, you may like to prepare them, by visiting the lesson on Biological explanations:addiction.
Questions
- What evidence does the study’s lead researcher, Ziyad Al-Aly, use to support the claim that different types of addiction share a common biological mechanism that can be treated with GLP-1 drugs?
Weight-loss drug users were found to be less likely to experience a range of common addictions, including those related to alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, nicotine, and opioids.
2. According to the study, which specific type of substance misuse showed the greatest reduction in risk (25%) among patients taking GLP-1 drugs compared to those taking SGLT2 inhibitors?
Opioids showed a 25% reduction in addiction risk.
3. For patients with pre-existing substance use disorders, what were the three major health "harms" that were significantly reduced by taking GLP-1 medicines?
These were: hospitalization (25% lower), overdose (40% lower), and death (50% lower).
4. The article mentions a specific neurotransmitter that GLP-1s are likely to influence in the brain to reduce cravings. What is this brain chemical?
5. The researcher Ziyad Al-Aly suggests that these drugs could shift addiction treatment from targeting one substance at a time to targeting what core psychological experience?
The craving itself could potentially be treated by reducing dopamine signaling in the brain’s reward center, thereby decreasing the urge associated with addictive behaviors.
6. The study analyzed the records of over 600,000 individuals. What was the specific demographic of this group, and what limitation does this pose for the study’s findings?
The study focused on U.S. military veterans, most of whom were older men. This presents a limitation, as the sample may not be fully representative of the broader population—particularly women and younger individuals.
7. Why are these findings described as “hypothesis generating” rather than as proof that GLP-1s should be used to treat addiction now?
The research was a retrospective analysis of the medical records over three years of one particular group of people. This is not enough evidence to say that these weight-loss drugs are effective for everybody who has a substance use disorder.
8. What type of research does the article suggest is needed before these medicines can be officially recognized as established treatments for substance use disorders?
References
Cai M, Choi T, Xie Y, Al-Aly Z. (2026). Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists and risk of substance use disorders among US veterans with type 2 diabetes: cohort study. British Medical Journal, 392 :e086886 doi:10.1136/bmj-2025-086886 Accessed 15 April at https://www.bmj.com/content/392/bmj-2025-086886
Peel, Michael (05 March 2026). Obesity jab users show lower risk of alcohol and drug addictions. Financial Times online, Accessed 14 April 2026 at https://www.ft.com/content/899f2d49-af16-4b68-a33a-9edf294678c8?syn-25a6b1a6=1