 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 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, 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. 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. Thirty-five thousand people are expected to be given nalmefene as part of treatment for alcohol dependency 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 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," she said.
– 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.