Most people assume that hard drugs like cocaine and heroin are the most addictive kind of drugs available. While the addictive properties in these commonly-abused drugs are intense, availability and frequency of use are also factors in their addictive potential. But not all highly-addictive drugs are illegal, and getting them can be as easy as taking a trip to the grocery store.

Nicotine
Use of any nicotine increases your risk of cancer, lung and heart disease, and oral disease.4 Nicotine products are sold over the counter in convenience stores, supermarkets, and gas stations. In America, it’s been a common part of our commercial culture until recently, when pharmacies like CVS committed to ceasing the sales of tobacco products in their retail stores.5 As with other drugs of abuse, the earlier a person begins using tobacco products the more likely he or she is to develop addiction.
Caffeine
Americans lead the world in coffee consumption, but something bigger, like caffeine addiction, may be to blame.10 When caffeine enters the brain, it affects nerve centers that are responsible for neurological reward systems. In essence, caffeine makes you feel good and the releasing of dopamine in the prefrontal cortex of your mind reinforces the behavior and makes you want to do it again and again.11 Regular consumption of caffeine has been associated with cancer, osteoporosis, and cardiovascular disease.
Heroin
Heroin is a derivative of the opium poppy plant that is grown mostly in southern Asia and Latin America. Heroin addiction and overdose have reached epidemic proportions across the United States. Heroin acts on opioid receptors in the brain involved with pain and reward mechanisms.12
The effects are felt pretty quickly — including the rush that heroin abusers seek — a pleasant and euphoric sensation when the skin flushes with warmth. The risk of addiction correlates highly with the drug’s potency, but those who struggle with heroin abuse are also at increased risk if they struggle with mental illness or began using heroin at a younger age. It is thought that around 23 percent of all heroin users become addicted to the drug.13
Cocaine
Perhaps one of the biggest risk factors for cocaine use and dependence is among those who are already using other drugs. Studies show that children ages 12 to 17 who use drugs like cannabis, alcohol and tobacco are up to 266 times more likely to use cocaine than children of the same age who do not use any gateway drugs. Per the study, children who used marijuana were 85 times more likely to use cocaine, and those who drank were 50 times more likely to use the drug.14
Alcohol
With the amount of alcohol being consumed in the United States at its highest level in recent history, it’s no surprise that alcohol is one of the leading risk factor for disease in America.
When alcohol enters the bloodstream, it progresses to the brain where it increases norepinephrine levels, a feel-good chemical that heightens your state of arousal. It also delays effects on the cerebellum which accounts a person’s slowed reaction time.16 About 18 million Americans have an alcohol use disorder.17 This legal substance creeps into the lives of many, often in adolescence and during the college years, aiding in an increased risk for the development of alcohol dependency. Having a parent who is addicted to alcohol also increases your risk of alcohol addiction.
Finding Help for Addiction
If you or a loved one struggles with substance abuse, we are here for you. Call our toll-free helpline, 760-548-4032, 24 hours a day to speak to an admissions coordinator about available treatment options.
Sources
1Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1 Dec. 2016. Accessed 18 Aug. 2017.
2 “Tobacco and Cancer.” American Cancer Society. Accessed 18 Aug. 2017.
3 “Cigar smoking: Safer than cigarette smoking?” Mayo Clinic. 13 July 2016. Accessed 18 Aug. 2017.
4 “Cigar smoking: Safer than cigarette smoking?” Mayo Clinic. 13 July 2016. Accessed 18 Aug. 2017.
5 Japsen, Bruce. “After CVS Stopped Cigarette Sales, Smokers Stopped Buying Elsewhere, Too.” Forbes 21 Feb. 2017. Accessed 18 Aug. 2017.
6 Check, Dan, et al. “Map: Americans Drink More Soda Than Anyone Else in the World.” Slate Magazine. 12 July 2012. Accessed 18 Aug. 2017.
7 “Caffeine content for coffee, tea, soda and more.” Mayo Clinic. 14 Apr. 2017. Accessed 18 Aug. 2017.
8 Fernau, Karen. “Coffee grinds fuel for the nation.” The Arizona Republic. USA Today. 9 Apr. 2013. Accessed 18 Aug. 2017.
9 “Caffeine content for coffee, tea, soda and more.” Mayo Clinic.14 Apr. 2017. Accessed 18 Aug. 2017.
100 Fernau, Karen. “Coffee grinds fuel for the nation.” The Arizona Republic, USA Today, Gannett Satellite Information Network, 9 Apr. 2013. Accessed 18 Aug. 2017.
11 Chawla, Jasvinder. “Neurologic Effects of Caffeine.” Overview, Consumption of Caffeine, Physiologic Effects of Caffeine, Medscape, 12 Apr. 2017. Accessed 18 Aug. 2017.
122 Abuse, National Institute on Drug. “Heroin.” National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). July 2017. Accessed 18 Aug. 2017.
13 Ibid.
14 “Introduction.” National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). Jan. 2014. Accessed 18 Aug. 2017.
15 “Alcohol Facts and Statistics.” National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Feb. 2017. Accessed 18 Aug. 2017.
16 “Alcohol’s Effects on the Body.” National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,. Accessed 18 Aug. 2017.
17 “Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse: MedlinePlus.” MedlinePlus. 21 Sept. 2016. Accessed 18 Aug. 2017.