Fruit flies’ drinking habits may shed light on human addiction

If given half a chance, a lonely and rejected male fruit fly will drown his sadness with booze, according to a study by the University of California. Conversely, a sexually satisfied male fly is far less likely to start drinking. (Presumably, they'll roll over and smoke a cigarette instead.) As the flies behave much like their human counterparts, scientists believe the finding may shed light on human addiction. Turns out, the flies have a molecule called neuropeptide F, which can trigger excessive drinking when sexually rejected. As it happens, humans have a similar molecule in their brains known as neuropeptide Y, which does pretty much the same thing, and while clinical trials are still under way, researchers say it's possible adjusting the level of neuropeptide Y in a person could change addictive behavior.

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