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Morphine-induced Suppression of Voluntary Alcohol Drinking in Rats

Abstract

A DEBATE has arisen over whether there is a relationship between alcohol and morphine addictions. With the classical phenomena associated with addiction there is little or no evidence for a connection between the two drugs1–4. The short-term effects are different, the withdrawal symptoms are different, morphine antagonists do not precipitate withdrawal in alcohol-dependent animals, and usually no cross-dependencies or cross-tolerances have been found, although there are reports of increased tolerance for morphine in mice that have been habituated to alcohol5 and in some human alcoholics6.

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SINCLAIR, J., ADKINS, J. & WALKER, S. Morphine-induced Suppression of Voluntary Alcohol Drinking in Rats. Nature 246, 425–427 (1973). https://doi.org/10.1038/246425a0

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