Sobering Perspectives on the Treatment of Alcohol Use Disorder

Abstract

Alcohol misuse is a leading cause of preventable suffering globally. Each year in the United States, alcohol misuse contributes to 140 000 deaths and nearly 3.6 million years of potential life lost. 1,2 Economic losses and health costs are staggering because alcohol can contribute to death and disability early in life. In 2010, the economic burden of alcohol misuse in the United States was estimated at a quarter of a trillion dollars, which is equivalent to $807 per person, or $2.05 per drink. 3 Treatment options for the 30 million individuals with alcohol use disorder (AUD) 4 in the US include behavioral interventions and pharmacotherapy. Naltrexone, acamprosate, and disulfiram are 3 approved drugs for treating AUD. Since disulfiram works only through aversive effects, with no Open Access. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the CC-BY License.