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Researches at the University of California at San Francisco recently studied the behavior of intoxicated fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) that were given the option of drinking alcohol. The study, published Dec. 10, 2009 in the journal Current Biology, found that fruit flies consumed food spiked with alcohol faster than plain food and with preference for alcohol increasing over time. These findings could help researchers better understand the genetic groundwork of addiction.

Earlier studies have found that alcohol has profound physiological effects on fruit flies, but this new study was the first to offer flies a choice to drink. The researchers devised fly-sized drinking devices similar to water bottles in hamster cages. Flies were then kept inside vials and could drink from with liquid food spiked with alcohol or plain liquid food. The flies drank the former much quicker. The alcohol preference also became stronger over five days as the flies adjusted to the drinking, and flies that had been drinking longer preferred the higher proof mix (15% to 25%) while shorter-term drinkers did not (similar to tolerance).

The study also found that fruit flies who became accustomed to the alcohol continued to drink despite potential harm. The researchers laced the food containing alcohol with small amounts of the toxic chemical quinine, and the flies continued to drink, even though they normally avoid the chemical. In another test, the flies were allowed to drink freely for five days, then they were deprived of alcohol for either one or three days. After the “dry period,” the flies immediately returned to peak levels of drinking, demonstrating a hallmark of relapse.

“It’s known that there’s a strong genetic component to alcoholism,” one of the researches said, “and flies are one of the best model systems for genetics.” Researchers hope that the fruit fly model of alcoholism will provide future researchers with new experimental options for understanding the disease.

Experts say it’s easy to see why so many Americans are abusing prescription drugs. As Americans age and carry extra pounds, more are asking for pain relief to cope with joint problems, back pain and other ailments. And because they’re typically used legally, the stigma of being a junkie is often eliminated. Addiction to prescription drugs, which kill thousands of Americans a year, has become a largely unrecognized epidemic.

According to recently released statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of overdose deaths from opioid painkillers that included morphine and codeine, more than tripled from since 1999 to 13,800 deaths a year. USA Today reports that about 120,000 Americans end up in the emergency room after overdosing on opioid painkillers each year, and prescription drugs in general cause most of the more than 26,000 fatal overdoses annually.

In the past, most overdoses were due to illegal narcotics, such as heroin. The former director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse said, “The biggest and fastest-growing part of America’s drug problem is prescription drug abuse.” And prescription painkillers have now surpassed heroin and cocaine as the leading cause of fatal overdoses.

One contributing factor may be the fact that conventional doctors have bought into the drug paradigm hook line and sinker. For example, as described in USA Today, a long-term treatment plan for pain will typically include a drug-combination approach, using anti-inflammatory drugs, anti-convulsants, and muscle relaxants. And although, aggressive drug marketing is often blamed for increased and inappropriate use of painkillers, another factor may be the cultural acceptance of prescription drugs (a pill for every symptom!) that may have replaced the need for excessive marketing of these dangerous drugs. People can simply get painkillers by asking their doctor and filling a prescription at the drugstore without anyone looking at them twice.