Final answer:The addictive potential of alcohol is mainly due to its stimulation of dopamine within the brain's reward pathways, notably by inhibiting GABAergic interneurons in the VTA and affecting the nucleus accumbens.Explanation:The addictive potential of alcohol is best explained by the way it stimulates the reward pathways for dopamine in the brain. Ethanol in alcohol induces dopamine release and increases activity in the striatum. These dopaminergic effects are largely due to the inhibition of GABAergic interneurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) by ethanol. Drinks containing alcohol can augment the brain's usual nutrient reward circuitry, as ethanol has the capability to access neurons behind the blood-brain barrier. Dopaminergic projections to the nucleus accumbens, which plays a crucial role in the brain's reward system, are significantly affected by alcohol consumption. As such, medications like opiate receptor antagonists can antagonize ethanol-induced dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens, implying that some of the effects of alcohol on the reward system are mediated by opioidergic afferents to dopaminergic neurons....

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