Nearly 2.5 million people die worldwide each year due to alcohol related problems. A British scientist claims he has a solution to this problem.
Neuroscientist, David Nutt, from the Imperial College of London has come up with a miraculous pill that he claims gives nearly the same buzz as alcohol and he also has an antidote pill that will do away with the intoxicating effects of alcohol.
"In theory, we can make an alcohol surrogate that makes people feel relaxed and social and remove the unwanted effects such as aggression and addictiveness," said Nutt, reports The Telegraph.
According to Nutt, the new drug works on GABA, a chemical produced by the brain, which gives drinkers the same pleasure as alcohol. The pill when followed by the antidote instantly gets rid of the hangover.
Professor Nutt has identified the five chemical compounds in the brain that are affected by alcohol and his pill acts as a substitute drug, ABC News reported.
Alcohol Concern, a leading national charity in the United Kingdom that deals with alcoholism, sounded quite doubtful about the latest discovery by Nutt. "We would urge caution on this," said Emily Robinson, director of Alcohol Concern, reports All voice. "We agree that alcohol is a serious burden to the country. But we would urge the (UK) government to invest in policies that we know work, such as minimum unit pricing (price control) and advertising restrictions."
But Nutt asserts that his discovery is revolutionary and will be helpful in curbing many harmful after effects of alcohol like drunk-driving, hangovers and health hazards associated with it.
Nutt wants to experiment further with all the five compounds that are affected by alcohol and needs further funding. Nutt is looking for prospective investors to continue with his research and bring the pill to the market.