I've heard about this experiment too and I don't like it. We are not rats. We are a bit more complicated than rats.
In fact that's the whole point of science. Experimental results (at least in well-designed experiments) are reproducible whether you like them or not. You don't HAVE to like it.
That said, the experimental results are about rats, not humans. I don't know of any similar experiment being carried out to see if it works on humans, but I kinda think one ought to be. When we find something that works on a problem humans have, even for a simpler organism, it's just plain good sense to see whether some version of it works on humans.
But the main reason I dislike it is the implication "he's just unhappy". Which immediately leads to the conclusion "he only needs to be happy and he'll stop". This hasn't worked for a single addict ever, but many relatives have ruined their own life and soul trying to make it work. This is an encouragement they don't need.
Hmmm. Like I said, I don't know of any well-designed studies on humans. Anecdotally, I think I've seen similar things happening to humans with positive results too. Of addicts I've known who did quit, I can't think of a single one of them who quit while they were all alone in the world. They all had a bunch of other people they were involved with at the time.
But that's anecdotal, not a proper statistical study. Anecdotes are all we really have at this point, not solid results. Especially not solid results that would indicate a proper way HOW to apply it to humans. FWIW, while I've seen people successfully quit things (including my dad) I don't recall personally seeing a single one who quit as a result of any kind of intentional interaction by a family specifically aimed at reaching that result. What I recall is people, usually without specific intent in doing it as a way of quitting, developing interests, becoming active members of communities, undertaking charitable causes, etc, and finally finding that they could quit.
In the most extreme cases, it really does happen like Faye's shown in the comic - realizing after a week or a month or whatever that they just haven't been thinking about the addiction. Of course, this is unfortunate, because, like Faye, that thought often as not brings the "need" back to the surface. I think that kind of specific memory bringing back a psychological need is probably something rats suffer from a bit less than humans.
But if all we had on the other point was anecdotes, what I just said about rats is a mere untested theory.