Craving: consensus of status and agenda for future research.

The term craving is used frequently in relationship to drug abuse and its treatment but there is disagreement over its definition and role. In February 1991, a meeting of experts from several disciplines, sponsored by the Addiction Research Center (ARC) of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, was convened with the goal of reaching consensus about the importance of craving and to suggest a future research program. The participants agreed that craving is a subjective state in humans that is associated with drug dependence but little is known about its determinants, relationship to drug taking, and measurement. To advance our knowledge, a substantial research program is required. The outcome of this research effort could have important consequences for increasing our understanding of the determinants of drug abuse.