Pavlovian conditioning and heroin overdose: Reports by overdose victims

A Pavlovian conditioning model of tolerance emphasizes the contribution of an association between predrug cues and the systemic effects of the drug to tolerance. In agreement with the model, results of a recent animal experiment indicate that the lethal effect of heroin, in drug-experienced rats, is influenced by the cues associated with its administration. To assess the applicability of these findings to instances of heroin overdose in humans, …