This Extremely Common Drug Given to Alcoholics Also Kills Cancer Cells, and We Finally Know Why Published Dec 10, 2017 at 10:10 AM EST Updated Dec 11, 2017 at 9:43 AM EST The drug causes a bad reaction for alcoholics, but a positive reaction for cancer patients. Scott Olson/Getty Images Disulfiram (Antabuse) is a drug given to alcoholics to prevent them from drinking, but for decades doctors have