the fact that you cannot stop taking a drug, doing an activity, etc. once you have started it

Were the tobacco companies guilty of lying to the public about the addictiveness of smoking? 烟草公司是否对公众隐瞒了吸烟成瘾的事实？

Ritalin is a "controlled substance" because of its potential for addictiveness. 利他林是一种“受控物质”，因为它有潜在的成瘾性。