Northwest Territories Drug Addiction Treatment Program

Unfortunately, these metabolites are fat-bonding.

As they pass though the bloodstream, many of the drug metabolites are drawn to the fatty tissues that surround blood vessels and become trapped there. In other words, the metabolites stick to the fat cells in the body and build up every time more drugs are taken.

This creates a "body burden" that may stay there for many years. Studies suggest that drug metabolites can affect the body's functioning for a very long time, even decades.

Chemically triggered drug cravings occur when the drug metabolites that have stuck to fat cells are released back into the bloodstream and travel to the brain. This can happen any time the individual's body burns fat for energy.

Normal life situations like stress, exercise or anger can launch the metabolites into the bloodstream from the fatty tissue, where they flow to the brain and cause drug cravings.