ABSTRACT
The addicts impulse to relapse is qualitatively very different from his desire for the drug when he is physically dependent on it. Some idea of the nature of the relapse impulse may perhaps be obtained by considering the difficulties experienced by tobacco smokers in quitting a habit which is far less powerful than opiate addiction. The addict's desire to be cured is readily understood as a consequence both of the social stigma attached to addiction and of the fact that the habit becomes a burden when the beginning euphoria vanishes and physical dependence is fully established. When an addict who is part of such a subculture attempts to quit his habit voluntarily, or when he is sent to jail or prison, any attempt that he may make to remain free of the drug is obviously jeopardized if he returns to his old environment and old associates.
