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What Is The Most Addictive Substance In The World

Most Addictive Drug: Cocaine

Top 10 Most Addictive Substances In The World

Cocaine is a highly addictive, habit-forming drug that is considered by many to be the most addictive drug. This is especially true for veterans. In 2018, more than 235,000 veterans , reported using cocaine in the past year.

Cocaine is a stimulant drug that creates an intense high that can be felt within minutes of use. It is most commonly used by snorting or sniffing the powder, although it can also be smoked or injected. Someone who uses cocaine may feel increased levels of energy, excitement, and alertness. This is because cocaine floods the brain with dopamine, creating a short-lived, extreme high.

Crack cocaine is a modified type of cocaine that is thought to be even more addictive than its powdered counterpart. Crack cocaine is a crystallized version of powdered cocaine that is made by mixing powdered cocaine with things like baking soda and heating it until it becomes solid. This process results in what many refer to as the most pure form of cocaine possible.

Due to its readily available status, crack cocaine is thought to be a top contender for the most addictive drug found on the streets.

The 5 Most Addictive Substances On Earth

Addiction of any kind is likely to wreak havoc on an individuals life, but there are various substances that have qualities that make them especially hard to beat.

4. Barbiturates

These substances are typically used to treat anxiety and induce sleep. Popular street names for Barbiturates include Blue Bullets, Gorillas, Nembies, Bars, and Pink Ladies. At low doses, these drugs can produce euphoria at higher doses an overdose due to suppressed breathing can result.

3. Cocaine

An estimated 14-20 million people worldwide use Cocaine, resulting in a billion-dollar industry. Cocaine reacts with the brains level of dopamine, preventing neurons from turning the feel good signal off. This results in abnormal activation of the brains reward pathways. An estimated 21% of people who try Cocaine will become addicted at some point in their lifetime.

2. Alcohol

Addiction to beer, wine, orliquor can have a very negative effect on the body and mind that is often irreversible. Studies have shown that alcohol increases the level of dopamine in the brains reward system by as much as 360%. This legalized substance has a death rate of over 3 million per year.

1. Heroin

Some Of The Most Addictive Substances

Though effects can vary from one substance to the next, an important shared feature amongst many addictive substances is their ability to elicit a pleasurable surge of dopamine in areas of the brain instrumental in reward, as well as the eventual reinforcement of the behaviors in question that lead to such neurochemical changes.1 Substance use disorders can quickly develop as the use of addictive drugs or alcohol continues and, often, escalates in an effort to repeatedly achieve a rewarding, euphoric rush. As SUDs develop and compulsive substance use continues, individuals are likely to experience several negative effects throughout all areas of their lives.

This article will go into more detail about some of the most addictive substances, what addiction is, and how to find help if you or your loved one is experiencing a substance use disorder.

Also Check: How Do I Stop Being Addicted To Food

Cocaine The Most Addictive Substance

Cocaine is a stimulant drug sold in white power form. It is typically sniffed for an instant energy high. The drug became popular in the 70s disco scene as a party drug that people used to stay awake all night. Cocaine causes a mix of energy and euphoria. The 80s saw the explosion of crack, a cheaper and faster-acting cocaine variant.

  • How many cocaine users are in the US? Cocaine abuse rates average between 22% and 23% of the population in the 10 US cities where the drug is most common.
  • Where is cocaine most common? Cocaine abuse is most common in Phoenix, Ariz., where 23.3% of the citys 1.5 million population have used the drug. Cocaine use is most common in the middle Great Plains and Southwest regions.

When the cocaine high wears off, users typically feel a crash, accompanied by depression and irritability. The effects of hardcore cocaine abuse include arrhythmia, hypertension, constricted blood vessels and pupil dilation.

Some Of The Most Addictive Drugs

WHAT IS THE MOST ADDICTIVE DRUG IN THE WORLD? Barbiturates ...

Addiction is characterized as a chronic, relapsing disorder that includes compulsive drug-seeking behavior despite the negative consequences of substance use.2 No one strives to become addicted to drugs or alcohol. However, as substances can ultimately change our normal brain reward hierarchyplacing the artificially reinforcing effects of drugs and alcohol above otherwise pleasurable activities such as food, sex, and socializingit can become increasingly difficult to not think about using, and exceedingly tough to quit.1

While the initial decision to drink alcohol or use drugs may be a voluntary one, repeated use of drugs and alcohol are associated with changes in the brain that make addiction more likely to take hold.2 These changes can impact memory and learning, decision-making and judgement, and behavior control to drive the compulsive drug seeking and use characteristic to addiction.2

Read Also: Signs Of An Addict Behavior

How Drugs And Alcohol Affect The Brain

The different areas of your brain talk to each other through neurotransmitters . Dopamine is the main neurotransmitter for drugs of abuse. It carries chemical messages between the neurons .

Neurons have receptors that dopamine and other neurotransmitters can unlock to deliver a chemical message. After the dopamine delivers the message, your brain gathers up the dopamine and recycles it. However, drugs of abuse can copy dopamine, stimulate too much dopamine, or prevent the brain from recycling it.

The release of dopamine from a normal rewarding activity like eating or having sex stimulates the pleasure centers in the brain like drugs do. The stimulation from drugs, though, can be far stronger. If substance abuse continues, your brain will slow down production of normal dopamine and other chemical messengers.

What Is The Most Addictive Drug In The World

Addictions Content Team

Our Addictions Content Team has been providing up to date information on substance use disorders, and co-occurring disorders for over a decade. Each piece of content is reviewed by our team of medical experts, consisting of doctors, registered nurses, and licensed therapists, as well as by our editorial staff.

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Many of the most highly addictive drugs in the world are prescribed to you by your family doctor, and can be found in the average persons medicine cabinet. Some addictive drugs are sold at most neighborhood corner stores, while others can be purchased on the street for extremely low costs. Addictive drugs and substances are usually easily accessible and can be found nearly everywhere, which is why substance abuse has become a major public health crisis in the U.S. and other parts of the world.

Roughly 240 million people in the world are physically dependent on alcohol, and about 15 million people use injection drugs like heroin and methamphetamine, according to the World Health Organization. More than one billion people smoke, and are addicted to nicotine. Drug and alcohol abuse not only drive crime rates and public threaten safety, but can worsen the overall quality of life for its victims, and lead to serious health complications including heart failure, coma, and death.

Read Also: How Do I Know If I M Addicted To Weed

Getting The Right Help

If you require addiction treatment for one of the above drugs, then your needs may be best served by a drug or alcohol rehab clinic. It may be possible for you to regain your recovery by attending outpatient therapy sessions. Others will merely require the support of their mutual support group.

If you require drug and alcohol rehab or outpatient therapy, contact us today on 0800 140 4690.

Most Addictive Substances Around The World

Ask Dr. Nandi: The five most addictive substances in the world

A recent article on CNN.com brought up an interesting question: What are the most addictive substances? Of course, the answer is far from simple and varies according to the points of view of different addiction experts and researchers, some who even say that no drug is always addictive. The potential for a drug to be addictive was based on several factors including:

  • The harm it causes
  • The street value of the drug
  • The extent to which the drug activates the brainâs dopamine system
  • The degree to which the drug causes symptoms of withdrawal
  • How easily a person trying the drug can become hooked
  • Whether the drug is snorted, injected or smoked

Based on these and other factors, an expert of panels identified the top five addictive drugs. Here is the summary of the results:

  • Heroin: This drug was given a score of 3 out of 3 and was found to cause the level of dopamine in the brains reward system to increase by up to 200% in animal studies. Whatâs more, heroin was rated the second most harmful drug in terms of damage to both users and to society.
  • Cocaine: Crack cocaine was ranked as the third most damaging drug and powdered cocaine was ranked as the fifth most damaging. According to animal studies, cocaine causes dopamine levels to rise more than three times the normal level. And more than 20 percent of those who try cocaine will become dependent on the drug at some point in their lifetime.
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    Risk Factors For Addiction

    • Individual Biology People react to substances differently and their brain and body may simply not like the effects. This is a big factor that can determine a drug addiction.
    • Mental Health People who suffer from mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder are more prone to addiction because drugs affect the same parts of the brain as mental health problems do. People with mental health issues are also more likely to misuse drugs to alleviate their conditions.
    • Home Issues Unfavorable home situations, wether past or present, generally lead to unhappiness and a propensity to misuse legal and illegal substances as a form of escapism and avoidance.
    • Social issues Difficulty making friends or troubles at school or work can lead individuals to start misusing addictive drugs as a distraction and eventually lead to addiction.
    • Bad Influences If a person is spending time with other people who are using addictive drugs, they are likely to be encouraged to use drugs as well.
    • Early Exposure Kids exposed to drug use at a young age are more influenced to try them. Consumption of addictive drugs significantly affects their still-growing brains and bodies. If they dont become addicted as children, they are still more susceptible than others to becoming addicted as adults.

    A Totally Legal Very Addictive Drug

    Nicotine, the main active ingredient in cigarettes, e-cigs, and vapes, is legal and sold in grocery stores, drug stores, gas stations, and countless other locations and is very addictive. Yet, although people smoke cigarettes or vape every day several times a day, even many do not consider nicotine a drug.

    According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , in 2014, 16.8% of all adults in the United States, or 40 million people, smoked cigarettes. 2 Smokeless tobacco usage in the U.S. in 2012 was 3.6% in adults, or about 4 in every 100 people.3 Obviously a very popular, legal drug, nicotine is responsible for more than 480,000 deaths every year in the United States, yet it is the most preventable cause of death.2

    So why are so many people addicted to something they know can kill them?

    Nicotine goes straight to your brain and acts on its reward pathways by manipulating the neurotransmitter dopamine. Dopamine is released when you smoke and makes you feel good, relaxed, and is responsible for making you want to continue smoking.

    Once nicotine dependence has set in, after you stop smoking, you may feel depressed, tired, and anxious, which are typically feelings youd like to avoid. So you continue to smoke to feel better. Over time, this is how addiction evolves.

    Some negative side effects of smoking include:4

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    What Makes Drugs Addictive

    From the medical perspective, there are various factors that are taken into account when measuring a drugs addictiveness, namely:

    • Level of intoxication
    • Individual circumstances and preferences

    Level of Intoxication

    Intoxication refers to the effects the drug produces, including the high itself, the strength of the high, and the lasting after effects. Generally speaking, the stronger the drug, the more attractive it is to users.

    Reinforcement Potential

    Reinforcement means how likely the person is to engage in repeated use. Drugs with short-lived effects, such as cocaine, encourage the user to consume more often. The more the person uses, the more likely they are to get hooked.

    Tolerance Potential

    While anyone can build a tolerance to any drug, certain substances seem to have a greater tolerance potential than others. This ties back to reinforcement. Repeated and long-term use of a drug increases a persons tolerance. Therefore, after a while, the same dose that got them high the first time will not be enough later on.

    Withdrawal Symptoms

    Certain drugs have very severe withdrawal symptoms, while have little to none. Withdrawal plays a big role in addiction because a person may feel compelled to take more of a drug to relieve any discomfort caused by withdrawal.

    Biological Dependence

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    Barbiturates also known as blue bullets, gorillas, nembies, barbs and pink ladies are a class of drugs that were initially used to treat anxiety and to induce sleep. They interfere with chemical signalling in the brain, the effect of which is to shut down various brain regions. At low doses, barbiturates cause euphoria, but at higher doses they can be lethal because they suppress breathing. Barbiturate dependence was common when the drugs were easily available by prescription, but this has declined dramatically as other drugs have replaced them. This highlights the role that the context plays in addiction: if an addictive drug is not widely available, it can do little harm. Nutt et als expert panels rated barbiturates as the fourth most addictive substance.

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    The Most Addictive Drug: Heroin

    Heroin is the most addictive drug known today. Someone who uses this opiate can become fully addicted after trying it once. According to studies, one out of every four people who use heroin for the first time become addicted immediately. Heroin is also very deadly. Unlike other drugs, where overdose amounts are much higher than the amount needed to get high, the overdose level of heroin is only about five times that. This means its very easy to take a lethal amount.

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    What Are The Most Addictive Drugs

    So, which drugs are the most addictive? They are:

    Addictive drugs are commonly used in the medical treatment of various chronic conditions, such as anxiety or insomnia. Such drugs alter how the brains signals operate by changing chemical combinations, thus shutting down different parts of the brain.

    Consuming low doses of addictive drugs often leads to euphoria, but if you take high doses, youll eventually develop tolerance. In the case of prescription drugs, addiction is common because of their ready availability.

    Street drugs are equally dangerous. An addictive drug that is not readily available may not cause adverse damage. However, when prescription drugs, particularly pain relievers, are no longer available, many people turn to street drugs and alcohol.

    The Department of Health and Human Services reported in 2019 that about 20 million Americans live with a drug or alcohol addiction. In the past month:

    • About 35.8 million people used illegal drugs
    • 140 million people drank alcohol
    • 45.9 million people smoked cigarettes

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    Cocaine And Crack Cocaine

    Common Street Names: Coke, Blow, Crack, Rock, Snow, Flake, Line, Icing, Pearl, Snowcones, White Powder, and Dust

    Cocaine is a stimulant drug made from the coca plant. It looks like a fine white powder or a crystallized rock. In the United States, there are about 5.5 million Americans suffering from cocaine use.1

    Crack cocaine or crack is one of the most common ways this drug is prepared. Unlike cocaine, which is purely made of hydrochloride salt, crack cocaine is a combination drug that consists of cocaine, baking soda, and water. It produces instant but short-lived effects. Because they dont last long, users tend to binge these drugs.

    Both cocaine and crack are highly addictive drugs. However, studies show that you can easily become addicted to crack cocaine than pure cocaine .3

    Side Effects of Cocaine Use

    People who use cocaine will experience the following symptoms:

    • Extreme happiness and energy
    • Higher risk of lung infections like pneumonia
    • Higher risk for contracting HIV, hepatitis C, and other bloodborne diseases
    • Higher likelihood of engaging in risky sexual behavior and contracting sexually transmitted disease
    • Cardiac arrest and death

    Top 10 Most Common Addictions

    The World’s Most Addictive Drug? (Betel Nut)

    Did you know cigarettes cost the United States over $193 billion every year in medical expenses and lost productivity? Even with different drug addiction campaigns, its no secret that the drug menace is not about to end.

    But which drugs and substances cause the most common addictions?

    Read on to discover what are the top 10 most addicting drugs and their prevention strategies.

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    Top 10 Most Addictive Drugs List

    Drug addiction has often been stigmatised, associated with poor judgement and moral failing. In reality, people from all walks of life can become addicted to drugs through no fault of their own. Most drugs are inherently physically and mentally addictive due to the profound effects they have on the brain and body. The way certain drugs alter the brains pleasure and reward system means we are hardwired to want to repeat the behaviour. With repeated use, the most addictive drugs can cause long-lasting damage and fatal outcomes.

    Its vital for friends and family members to understand that the compulsive and reckless behaviour that comes with addiction is driven by the drug itself and not the fault of the person taking it. At Delamere, we have direct experience of treating the most addictive drugs in the world and can help you leave addiction behind from the sanctuary of our unique forest retreat. Here, our holistic experts give a rundown of what makes each drug particularly addictive and the kind of therapies we use to treat drug addiction.

    1. Heroin addiction

    2. Crack cocaine addiction

    3. Alcohol addiction

    4. Nicotine addiction

    A recent Lancet study revealed the number of smokers worldwide has reached a record high of 1.1 billion and that annual tobacco-related deaths have reached almost 8 million . As well as being legally available, tobacco is highly addictive. Some say the nicotine in tobacco is as addictive as heroin or cocaine.

    6. Methadone addiction

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