New approaches to treating alcohol dependence Around one in three Australians drink alcohol at levels considered harmful, yet treatment options remain limited. This is especially the case in Northern Sydney, where alcohol use is more common than other drug use. To respond to this gap, the Northern Sydney Local Health District Drug and Alcohol Services Research Unit is focusing on clinical
The team is now preparing a trial using cannabidiol, or CBD, building on evidence that it may also reduce alcohol use and cravings. “There’s evidence it decreases alcohol use as well. We’re looking at whether it can be part of the package of treatments we offer.” Treatment at NSLHD takes a holistic approach, with medication supported by mental health care and other supports. “It’s not just about: ‘here take this medication’. It’s also what else can we do to help that person with associated issues such as mental health concerns,” he says. Stigma remains a major barrier, with only around 10 percent of Australians with alcohol dependence ever seeing a specialist. “Everybody knows someone with a drug or alcohol issue,” he says, “but there’s still misunderstanding, and these topics are not openly discussed.” Despite this, Mark is optimistic. NSLHD DAS is now central to national alcohol dependence research, leading trials that could reshape future care. “We’ve got to be doing better than what we’re doing now,” says Mark. “And research is the way forward.”
trials that expand treatment options and improve outcomes for our community. The unit is overseen by Clinical Director and Associate Professor Mark Montebello and Research Lead Dr Lauren Monds. “If you look at antidepressants, there are about 30 to choose from,” Mark says. “In alcohol dependence treatment, we have only three approved mediations.” In 2024, the team was involved in a landmark NHMRC funded trial led by Professors Kirsten Morley and Paul Haber from the University of Sydney. The study compared naltrexone, a gold standard medication for alcohol dependence, with topiramate, a seizure medication also shown to reduce alcohol cravings. The results were striking, with topiramate performing remarkably well. “We weren’t the first to discover it,” said Mark, “but we were the first to do it locally in a rigorous way, head to head with the gold standard [medication].”
Associate Professor Mark Montebello and Dr Lauren Monds
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