text: A pill that helps people cut down on alcohol will be available to people who drink at least half a bottle of wine or three pints a night from today. Experts say the drug reduces the urge to drink and can be prescribed alongside counselling support. 
   
   The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) has published formal guidance recommending nalmefene, following draft guidance released in October, which means that patients have the right to request the drug if they meet certain requirements. 
   
   Nalmefene, also called Selincro, is suitable for anyone who regularly drinks high amounts of alcohol, which is defined by the World Health Organisation as 7.5 units a day for men and five units a day for women. It helps patients gradually cut back on their alcohol intake and is therefore not suitable for anyone with a severe alcohol problem who needs to stop immediately. The pill costs £3, can be taken up to once a day, and is designed to be used whenever the patient wants to stave off the desire to drink. 
   
   Lyndsey Dudley, a spokeswoman for Nice, said the drug would be suitable for people who “probably don’t even recognise themselves as an alcoholic”. 
   
   She said: “It is much like a patch that you might wear to give up smoking, to support you to cut down on your alcohol intake. Some days you might feel stronger than others.” 
   
   More than two million Britons are believed to be mildly dependent on alcohol. Thirty-five thousand people are expected to be given nalmefene as part of treatment for alcohol dependency in the first year. However, the actual figure might prove to be lower. Data released yesterday for Scotland, where nalmefene was approved for use in October last year, show that only 53 people were prescribed the drug in 2013/14. The 35,000 figure is based on the prediction that 58,000 people are expected to receive psychosocial intervention for mild alcohol dependency, of whom 60% will be given nalmefene. 
   
   Dudley said the figure may change as “people might not want to go down the medication route straight away”. 
   
   Information given by the drug’s manufacturer Lundbeck identifies fictional examples of the sort of people eligible for nalmefene, including Sue, 39, who “looks forward to a glass of wine after work when the kids go to bed but always finishes the bottle while cooking and eating with her husband, and opens a second bottle a few days each week”. 
   
   Professor Carole Longson, Nice’s health technology evaluation centre director, said: “Many people have a difficult relationship with alcohol even though they have a very stable lifestyle, maintain jobs and a social life and would not automatically assume they have a problem. But regularly drinking over the recommended daily amount of alcohol can seriously damage your health. 
   
   “Those who could be prescribed nalmefene have already taken the first big steps by visiting their doctor, engaging with support services and taking part in therapy programmes. We are pleased to be able to recommend the use of namelfene to support people further in their efforts to fight alcohol dependence. 
   
   “When used alongside psychosocial support nalmefene is clinically and cost effective for the NHS compared with psychosocial support alone.” 
   
   Professor Jonathan Chick, a medical adviser for Drinkaware, said: “Two glasses of wine per day is not by any definition ‘mild alcoholism’. Nalmefene is for people who are concerned about their drinking, have tried to cut down, have been given brief advice/counselling by their doctor and are still regularly drinking more than low-risk levels. 
   
   “The risks start at 14 units per week for women and 21 for men, but patients who will be prescribed nalmefene will be drinking higher amounts than that, and will have provoked changes in their brain patterns which have led to difficulty controlling their drinking.” ||||| Middle-class drinkers in Britain who enjoy having more than three glasses of wine a night, will be given a pill to reduce their dependency on alcohol. 
   
   The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence has approved the use of Nalmefene, also called Selincro, to curb men and women drinking more than the required 7.5 units and 5 units a day limit. 
   
   The institute said the drug has been approved for use alongside counselling support for people, who want to reduce their alcohol intake by up to 1.8 units a day. 
   
   Nalmefene is available from today and costs £42.42 for a 14-tablet pack, or about £3 a day. Around 35,000 people are expected to be given Nalmefene in the first year. 
   
   Professor Carole Longson, director from NICE Health Technology Evaluation Centre, said: "Many people have a difficult relationship with alcohol even though they have a very stable lifestyle, maintain jobs and a social life and would not automatically assume they have a problem. But regularly drinking over the recommend daily amount of alcohol can seriously damage your health. 
   
   "Those who could be prescribed nalmefene have already taken the first big steps by visiting their doctor, engaging with support services and taking part in therapy programmes. We are pleased to be able to recommend the use of namelfene to support people further in their efforts to fight alcohol dependence," she said.
target: – Those Brits who want to cut down on their alcohol intake—and can spare about $5 a day—now have access to a pill to reduce their craving. UK officials have approved the drug nalmefene for use along with counseling to help reduce alcohol dependency, the International Business Times reports. The official approval means people who fit the right profile can request the prescription drug. "Those who could be prescribed nalmefene have already taken the first big steps by visiting their doctor, engaging with support services, and taking part in therapy programs," says a researcher. Nalmefene, which can be taken once a day, helps people feel less of an urge to drink, experts say. It's considered appropriate for many people drinking the equivalent of at least half a bottle of wine daily, the Guardian reports. Plenty of potential candidates to take the drug "probably don’t even recognize themselves as an alcoholic," says a health official, who compares it to a nicotine patch. But since nalmefene is intended to be used to gradually reduce alcohol intake, it's not a good solution for people who need to quit right away, the Guardian notes.