Addictive Substances – NEZ: The Olfactory Magazine (Issue 08)

Yvresse, Dior Addict, Opium, Obsession... The allusions to illicit products and the language of addiction have a long association with perfumery. But can perfume really be addictive? As we grapple with this question, let's not forget that perfume itself continues to nurture a centuries-long dependence on alcohol! For while perfumery was born of smoke, its love affair with ethanol drove the development of the industry.

We need only to look to the canine nose to see that a connection exists between narcotics and olfaction; but what is the relationship between our sense of smell and addictive substances?