Budget restraints at the Finnish National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) have resulted in job cuts of up to 50 percent among alcohol researchers. The institute has also been forced to abandon its specially-bred alcohol dependent rats, which researchers have been using to study alcoholism for the past 50 years.

Finland’s standing in the alcohol research field is now in jeopardy, with critics lamenting the rodent release. The rats will be sent to research labs in the United States, leaving their Finnish masters behind. The move comes at a time when Finnish scientists claim they were in the midst of vital experiments relating to brain triggers for alcohol dependence, reports YLE.

“We are researching medications aimed at suppressing drinking urges and improving stress management among alcoholics,” said the institute’s professor Kalervo Kiianmaa. THL’s Director General Pekka Puska claimed that significant progress had been made by the institute since the amalgamation of the KTL (National Public Health Institute) and STAKES (National Research and Development Centre for Welfare and Health) last year. “Public spending is tight and that’s unfortunate as we’re dealing with an enormous problem,” said Puska.

The institute has used the specially-bred rodents in an effort to determine the development of drink dependence. Both alcoholic (AA) and tee totalling (ANA) rats have been bred for the programme, with the former always preferring alcohol to water when given the option. Many medications used for treating alcoholism that exist today can be attributed to heavy-drinking lab rodents.

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