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If you’re in recovery and have seen headlines suggesting Ozempic treats drinking, the accurate version is narrower. The Department of Veterans Affairs has started a clinical trial testing whether semaglutide helps veterans with alcohol use disorder. It’s a study, not an approved treatment, and results are years off.
Recruitment for the Cessation or Reduction of Alcohol Consumption in Veterans trial, known as CRAVE, began July 28, 2026.
The Trial’s Logistics
The study will enroll more than 600 veterans aged 18 to 80 with moderate or severe alcohol use disorder, across 18 VA medical centers nationwide. Sites include Ann Arbor, Michigan; Asheville, North Carolina; Hines, Illinois; Salt Lake City; Decatur, Georgia; Cleveland; Houston; Minneapolis; and Madison, Wisconsin.
Participants receive weekly injections of either semaglutide or a placebo for 24 weeks and safety check-ups. It’s randomized and double-blind so that neither participants nor researchers know who receives the drug. Researchers keep track of drinking habits alongside overall health and quality of life.
The VA reports that more than 400,000 veterans in its system have been diagnosed with alcohol use disorder.
Researchers’ Goals
Semaglutide is FDA-approved for type 2 diabetes and chronic weight management, sold as Ozempic and Wegovy. It drew interest for alcohol addiction because it may act on brain regions involved in how the body experiences reward.
One analysis found patients taking GLP-1 medications experienced a drop in alcohol and other substance use disorders when compared to patients on other diabetes drugs. Folks who took GLP-1 and had other substance use disorders experienced fewer emergency visits and hospitalizations.
Those are observational findings. People prescribed GLP-1 medications usually differ from others in ways that clinicians can’t adjust for, including engagement with care and underlying health, so an association is not proof the drug caused the change. A randomized placebo-controlled trial can answer that question properly.
Officials expressed hope that GLP-1 will prove effective. “We aim to expand the tools available to help Veterans take control of their health and recovery,” VA Secretary Doug Collins announced.
For Those in Recovery
Nothing about this changes what works today. The VA explicitly continues to discourage veterans from self-medicating or substituting GLP-1 medications for established alcohol use disorder treatment. They urged anyone considering it to talk with a healthcare provider first.
Other FDA-approved medications for alcohol use disorder already exist in the market. Naltrexone, acamprosate and disulfiram each work differently and each has evidence behind it. If medication has never come up in your care, that’s a reasonable conversation to open with a doctor, as it doesn’t conflict with peer support.
Support Groups Fit Alongside Medication
Medication and mutual aid don’t compete. Alcoholics Anonymous describes a 12-step program built on peer support, sponsorship and regular meeting attendance, and many people in long-term sobriety combine meetings with medical treatment.
Research news like this can stir up a lot for people in recovery, particularly the suggestion that a simpler answer might be coming. The habits that hold sobriety together don’t change while a trial runs:
- Consistent meeting attendance
- Honest conversations with a sponsor or counselor
- Staying connected even if it’s easier not to.
- The Sober App tracks sobriety milestones and daily habits for free to help you progress across weeks rather than one day at a time.
AA Meetings Supplement Treatment
Our searchable directory covers AA meetings across all 50 states, searchable by city with filters for online and virtual meetings, beginners meetings, women’s and men’s meetings, and veteran-focused groups. If a weekday in-person meeting is hard to reach, virtual options run around the clock.
Feel free to also call
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to chat with a specialist about treatment options. Veterans interested in CRAVE can contact their local VA medical center or rep.
Eric Owens is a writer and editor with a bachelor degree in Philosophy, which has helped him with presenting complex information in a simple way that all audiences can understand. He specializes in the mental health and addiction recovery space. He’s also passionate about the environment and has extensive experience in creating content related to sustainability issues
View ProfilePeter W.Y. Lee is a writer and historian of American history. His primary focus is on the Cold War era. His academic work examines the relationship between youth and popular culture and its impact on U.S. society during the twentieth century.
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