Exclusive: Scientists at UCL hope one-off dose of powerful hallucinogenic could help drinkers reduce intake

A powerful psychedelic that is used in healing ceremonies by Indigenous groups in the Amazon is being trialled as a pioneering approach to reduce problematic alcohol consumption.

Dimethyltryptamine (DMT) is the active ingredient in ayahuasca, a hallucinogenic brew that has been used for thousands of years by shamans in South America. Scientists based at University College London are testing whether a one-off dose of the drug could help hazardous drinkers who want to reduce their alcohol intake.

The study is currently recruiting volunteers, who need to be regular drinkers aged 21 to 65 who do not have a formal diagnosis of alcohol disorder.