LSD can cure alcoholics, say scientists

THE psychedelic drug LSD could be used as an effective method to treat alcoholism, scientists say.
By The Newsroom
Published 9th Mar 2012, 05:17 BST

The use of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), coupled with relapse prevention treatments, could help alcoholics steer clear of the bottle, research published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology suggests. Teri Krebs and Pal-Orjan Johansen, who were performing research fellowships at Harvard Medical School in the US, examined a number of previous studies, mostly from the 1960s and 1970s. They found evidence for a clear and consistent beneficial effect of a low dose of LSD for treating alcohol dependency.

Out of 536 participants 59 per cent of LSD patients had improved. Mr Johansen said: “Given the evidence for a beneficial effect of LSD on alcoholism, it is puzzling why this approach has been largely overlooked.”