In many ways, sugar is like a drug. It impacts mood, digestion, sleep and can profoundly affect cognition. Sugar triggers the brain's reward system in a similar way to drugs, though it's far more complex than "Oreos are like cocaine." Withdrawals are also not unheard of, and sugar consumption can be compulsive; however, it's probably not addictive in the same way that heroin or alcohol can be. "Sucrose use disorder" is not an actual diagnosis like substance use disorder.
Regardless, society seems to have a problem with sugar. Aside from its negative environmental and social impacts, excessive sugar consumption is linked to a wide range of poor health outcomes, including metabolic diseases like obesity and diabetes, cardiovascular damage and dental decay. But it seems impossible to avoid sugar, even if you try, due to the fact unscrupulous companies unnecessarily inject it into food products, including bread, salad dressing, soup, pasta sauces, cereal, tonic water, jerky and much more.
