Dr. David Kareken discusses how the urge to drink can be triggered by sensory cues alone. His latest research showed that a dopamine reaction took place in the brain when men were given a small amount of alcohol - enough to taste, but not enough to become intoxicated. The reaction was stronger in those with a genetic predisposition to alcoholism. This suggests that dopamine is involved in the desire to use a drug, even before the effects of the drug are felt, and that drug-seeking behavior can be triggered by a related environment.

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