Two independent studies connected GLP‑1 receptor agonists—drugs developed for diabetes and obesity—with reduced substance-use harms and with mechanistic actions in addiction biology. A large observational cohort analysis of more than 600,000 U.S. veterans found associations between GLP‑1 prescriptions and lower incidence of substance use disorders and substance-related mortality. Separately, Washington University investigators reported preclinical and translational data showing GLP‑1 agonists modulate neural circuits and molecular targets implicated in reward and relapse, suggesting a shared biological pathway across multiple addictive substances. Observational data cannot prove causation; the mechanistic work offers a plausible route for clinical trials testing GLP‑1s as addiction treatments.