School IB psychology class: Obesity jab users show lower risk of alcohol and drug addictions

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Specification:

• IB DP Psychology: Health problems — substance misuse or abuse

This article explains the unusual side-effect of weight-loss drugs that suppress our appetite and reduce food cravings. It seems these drugs also reduce cravings for other substances, including alcohol, cannabis and cocaine.

The drugs examined are GLP-1 medicines (Glucagon-like Peptide-1 receptor agonists), used to treat type 2 diabetes and obesity. They work by mimicking a natural hormone in the body called GLP-1, which is normally released in the gut after eating. While they have been used for diabetes for nearly two decades, they have recently surged in popularity as highly effective treatments for weight loss.

Click the link below to read the article and then answer the questions:

Obesity jab users show lower risk of alcohol and drug addictions

• What evidence does the main researcher of the study described in the article, Ziyad Al-Aly, use to say that various addictions may share a common biological mechanism that is treatable by GLP-1 drugs?

• According to the study, which specific substance misuse saw the greatest reduction in risk (25 per cent) for patients taking GLP-1s compared to those taking SGLT2 inhibitors?

• For patients with pre-existing substance use disorders, what were the three major health “harms” that were significantly reduced by taking GLP-1 medicines?

• The article mentions a specific neurotransmitter that GLP-1s are likely to influence in the brain to reduce cravings. What is this chemical?

• The researcher Ziyad Al-Aly suggests that these drugs could shift addiction treatment from targeting one substance at a time to targeting what core psychological experience?

• The study analysed the records of over 600,000 individuals. What was the specific demographic of this group, and what limitation does this pose for the study’s findings?

• Why are these findings just described as “hypothesis generating” rather than as proof that GLP-1s should be used to treat addiction now?

• What type of research does the article state would be required before these medicines could be officially considered established treatments for substance use disorders?

Reference:

Cai M, Choi T, Xie Y, Al-Aly Z. (2026). Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists and risk of substance use disorders among US veterans with type 2 diabetes: cohort study. British Medical Journal, 392:e086886 doi:10.1136/bmj-2025-086886 Accessed 15 April at https://www.bmj.com/content/392/bmj-2025-086886

Laura Swash, Inthinking/thinkIB