The four most addictive substances in the world

Here are list of four most addictive substances in the world.

1. Heroin

Not only is heroin the most addictive substance on the planet, but it's also the second most harmful in terms of its effect on users and society.

The drug – which goes by street names like Smack, Skag, Horse, H, Gear and Brown – is a drug made from morphine, which is extracted from the opium poppy.

Once taken it boosts the levels of dopamine in the brain by up to 200% making users feel euphoric.

But why is heroin so highly addictive? When users inject, snort, or smoke the substance they brain experiences a pleasurable rush and it triggers intense cravings for the drug.

Heroin is also lethal if you overdose on it and the amount needed to kill you is only five times more than the hit you need for a high.

2. Alcohol

It might be legal in the UK but booze was rated the second most addictive substance in the world. As a nation, Britain knocks back a massive 15,000 pints of beer and 3,200 bottle of wine per minute.

Roughly 22% of people who have touched a drop will become dependent on alcohol in the future.

3. Cocaine

Cocaine is the third most addictive substance on the planet. And according to a recent report, one in 10 people aged between 16 and 59 have tried the white stuff at some point in their lives – making it the second most popular illegal substance in the UK after cannabis.

Worryingly London was recently named the "cocaine capital"of Europe for the second year running. In fact it was one of the only cities in the world to see a rise in usage of the illegal substance.

According to a study published in Drug and Alcohol Dependence, about 21% of people who've had a dabble with the drug will become dependent on it.

Crack cocaine is also the third most damaging drug while powdered cocaine is the fifth.

4. Nicotine

According to Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) there's around 10million smokers in the UK but about two thirds of them want to give up tobacco.

The reason they haven't kicked the fag habit is because nicotine keeps you hooked. When you smoke a cigarette, nicotine is quickly absorbed into the lungs and delivered to the brain where it causes dopamine levels to rise by 25-40%.

Not many people know that fags contain roughly 600 ingredients, many of which are chemicals which you'd usually find in other household products like arsenic, formaldehyde, ammonia and carbon monoxide.

By 2030, it's been estimated that tobacco will responsible for 10% of all deaths.

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