Is LSD to alcoholism as DDT is to malaria? According to one somewhat dubious study (recently unearthed from the '60s), after a single big ol' dose of LSD "two-thirds of the alcoholics stopped drinking for at least 18 months after receiving one dose of LSD, compared to 25 per cent who stopped after group therapy and 12 per cent after individual therapy." Soon after the study was done, however, a ban on LSD closed down experimentation with the drug, blocking further experiments on therapeutic use.
LSD may soon be back in fashion, though, at least for men in white coats:
The ban on the use of LSD in medical experiments appears to be lifting, as researchers in the US have recently been granted permission to conduct experiments. In Britain, some psychiatrists have been calling for research projects involving LSD and similar drugs to be re-started. The Royal College of Psychiatrists discussed the use of the drugs in treatment at its annual meeting in March, for the first time in over 30 years.
For an impressively (but not surprisingly) thorough look at the history and chemistry of LSD, check out Wikipedia's entry. For Reason writers on LSD, go here and here.