By drawing together basic scientists and clinicians from a range of disciplines, this book focuses on what is now understood about the basic mechanisms underlying addiction. It also considers the psychological and social dimensions of the various forms of addiction discussed. The majority of chapters in the book are based on studies of the opioids and alcohol, but prescribed drugs such as the benzodiazepines and commonly used substances such as nicotine and caffeine are also examined. A range of the many approaches and techniques used in the study of these biologically and biochemically complex systems is represented in this book and is presented at a level appropriate to those with a professional interest but with a training in another discipline. The aim is to stimulate cross-disciplinary collaboration.