The man of addiction fought drug addiction as early as 5000 BC when the populations of Asia Minor knew that they were using a "joy plant" derived from the poppy seed ( Hansen, Venturelli, & Fleckenstein, 2010). Illicit drug use and addictions, including “medical, economic, criminal and social impacts,” are estimated to cost Americans nearly half a trillion dollars a year. Furthermore, 100,000 people lose their lives every year due to illicit drug use (Volkow, 2010). Chronic, relapsing, compulsive, urge, and impulse are just some of the words used to describe the “brain disease” commonly known as addiction (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2011). Addiction knows no borders and affects men and women of all ages and socio-economic levels. Infants, adolescents, adults, and parents are all negatively affected by the use and abuse of legal and illicit drugs (Volkow, 2010). “Morally flawed and lacking in willpower” is no longer the norm when it comes to describing the addict. The consequences of continued abuse of a drug can lead to increased tolerance and severe dependence (Volkow, 2010). The initial choice to take a drug is voluntary, but the disease it inflicts on the brain is sometimes a lifelong battle that destroys the body from the inside out, as well as family and friends (NIDA, 2011). Addiction and the human brain. There are various areas of the brain that are affected by drug abuse. The brainstem controls heart rate, breathing, and sleep (Volkow, 2010). The limbic system guides our ability to receive and enjoy pleasure. This is significant because pleasurable, repetitive actions encourage behaviors such as eating, which is vital to sustaining life. Normal behavior triggers...... middle of paper ......ett Editori.Interlandi, Jeneen; Kelley, Raina. What drug addicts need. Newsweek, 3/3/2008, Vol 151 Issue 9, p 36-42. National Health Information Center (NHIC). Health Information Resource Database. (nd) Retrieved March 31, 2011, from .Volkow, Nora. D. National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). Addiction: “Drugs, Brain, and Behavior: The Science of Addiction.” (2010) Retrieved March 31, 2011, from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). About NIDA: Nationwide Trends (n.d.). Retrieved March 31, 2011, from .National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). NIDA InfoFacts: Understanding Drug Abuse and Addiction (March 2011). Retrieved April 3, 2011, from .