this is your brain on drugs

Caffeine elevates brain dopamine but the change is less than other drugs of abuse. Chronic exposure to caffeine can trigger an addiction. Studies are suggesting that people addicted to caffeine have an increased risk of becoming addicted to other substances. The bottom image is from a study designed by Drs. Dewey and Schiffer (Stephen and Wynne) where they asked people just to smell coffee while they were undergoing a brain scan. They found that just the smell alone triggered the addiction centers of the brain to become active. This is a powerful example of how an environmental cue can activate the brain. Such environmental cues such as sight, sound, smell, hearing and seeing can trigger craving and relapse. The image below shows that the whole body is affected by caffeine. It is not just the brain. Click on pictures below to view the whole slides

Just thinking about drinking a beverage with caffeine activates the reward centers of the brain.