A pill that helps people cut down on alcohol will be available to people who drink half a bottle of wine or three pints a night or more from today.
Experts say the drug reduces the urge to drink and can be prescribed alongside counselling support.
Professor Carole Longson, Nice health technology evaluation centre director, said: "Many people have a difficult relationship with alcohol even though they have a very stable lifestyle, maintain jobs and a social life and would not automatically assume they have a problem.”
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) has published formal guidance recommending the drug, Nalmefene, following on from draft guidance released in October, which means that patients have the right to request the drug if they meet certain requirements from Tuesday.
Information given by the drug's manufacturer Lundbeck identifies fictional examples of the sort of people eligible for nalmefene, including Sue, 39, who "looks forward to a glass of wine after work when the kids go to bed but always finishes the bottle while cooking and eating with her husband, and opens a second bottle a few days each week".
Nalmefene, also called Selincro, is suitable for anyone who regularly drinks high amounts of alcohol, which is defined by the World Health Organisation as 7.5 units a day for men and five units a day for women.
It helps patients gradually cut back on their alcohol intake and therefore is not suitable for anyone with a severe alcohol problem who needs to stop immediately.
The pill, which costs £3, can be taken up to once a day and is designed to be used whenever the patient wants to stave off the desire to drink.
Experts say the drug reduces the urge to drink and can be prescribed alongside counselling support.
Lyndsey Dudley, a spokeswoman for Nice, said the drug would be suitable for people who "probably don't even recognise themselves as an alcoholic".
She said: "It is much like a patch that you might wear to give up smoking to support you to cut down on your alcohol intake. Some days you might feel stronger than others."
Some 2.1m Britons are believed to be mildly dependent on alcohol. Some 35,000 people are expected to be given nalmefene as part of treatment for alcohol dependency in the first year.
However the actual figure might prove to be much lower. Data released yesterday for Scotland, where nalmefene has been approved for use since October last year, show only 53 people were prescribed the drug in the year 2013/14.
The estimate of 35,000 is based on the prediction that 58,000 people are expected to receive psychosocial intervention for mild alcohol dependency and 60pc are expected to be given nalmefene.
Ms Dudley said the figure may change as "people might not want to go down the medication route straight away".
Prof Longson added: "Regularly drinking over the recommended daily amount of alcohol can seriously damage your health.
Source: Keith Perry, Irish Independent, 26/11/14
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