Anti-smoking pill may help drinking as well

There are many drugs these days geared toward helping smokers ditch the habit. Pills, patches and other methods are generating large profits for drugmakers while helping some (not all) quit smoking once and for all. Could this kind of magic be used to help heavy drinkers stop that activity as well?

A new study says that the drug varenicline may be able to help both smokers and drinkers quit as it targets a specific "pleasure" center in the brain that has a strong role to play in addiction.

Could this drug be used, with later refinement, for treating addictions outside of smoking and drinking? Perhaps addictions like gambling and prescription painkillers? Who knows -- but just treating addictions connected to smoking and drinking is a great start if it indeed works.