Craving and loss of control over drug use behavior are constructs that are central to the addiction process [9–14]. Craving has been linked to the action of drugs on the mesocorticolimbic dopamine pathways in the brain and the repeated activation of these pathways is thought to be an important factor in the etiology of addiction [15–17]. The study of cue-elicited craving for alcohol, tobacco and other drugs has been proven to be a useful approach to understanding basic mechanisms related to addiction. Numerous studies have indicated that exposure to smoking cues (e.g. the sight and smell of a lit cigarette) markedly increases craving for tobacco [17–20] and that exposure to alcohol cues increases craving for alcohol [21–24].
