(Can’t stop thinking about your next meal? That’s food noise.)

In 2022, Klein started taking Mounjaro and lost 40 pounds. What’s more, the drug reinforced his sobriety. “I haven’t had a craving for alcohol or drugs in years,” says Klein. “It’s been transformative.” He sees a similar effect in patients to whom he prescribes drugs for concurrent obesity and substance abuse. “What I hear from people taking the GLP-1 drugs is they can feel their bodies change—their cravings for food and substances decrease,” says Klein.

“As an addiction medicine provider,” Klein adds, “I think of addiction as a record playing—our job is to lift the needle off the record long enough to teach them a different song.” So far, he says, the GLP-1 drugs seem to be having that effect, at least anecdotally. 

Michael Cupps discovered that firsthand. In 2023, the father of two from Dallas told his doctor he wanted to stop drinking. “I had been questioning my relationship with alcohol for some time—it was my way of coping with stress,” says Cupps, 58, who works in the software industry. Because his doctor wanted him to drop some weight, she suggested that he try semaglutide. After Cupps started taking it, alcohol lost its pull on him. Eventually Cupps stopped drinking entirely and started going for walks to relieve stress. He also lost 20 pounds.

The future of addiction treatment?

With the benefit of further research, especially randomized, controlled trials, experts are hoping the GLP-1 drugs will broaden their arsenal of weapons against addiction.