NEZ Magazine #8 -Addictive Substances

Published biannually, Nez explores the world around us via our sense of smell. It provides insights into the vital role that olfactory sensations play in our lives using a novel approach that encompasses art, literature, science, history, food and perfume. Can you get hooked on an odour? Why are ethanol and perfume such a good combination? How do brands try to create olfactory dependency? Tobacco, alcohol, drugs…

The eighth issue of Nez reveals the connections between our sense of smell and addictive substances.

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?