Research suggests that animals housed in enriched environments self-administer less drugs than animals housed in standard or impoverished environments. This study investigated the effects of enrichment on economic demand and escalation of demand for alcohol in female rats. Sixteen rats were assigned to either enriched (n = 8) or standard (n = 8) environments. Animals were trained to lever-press for alcohol, assessed for alcohol demand, completed 21 days of low-cost self-administration of alcohol, and completed a second demand analysis. Standard-housed animals were willing to respond significantly more for alcohol than enriched animals during Demand I and Demand II. Both groups were willing to respond more for alcohol during Demand II than Demand I, but there was no difference in escalation of demand between the two groups. These results suggest that environmental enrichment is a protective factor against ethanol demand, but it does not change escalation of demand following low-cost self-administration.
