Like smoking itself, the bonds may become habit-forming and bad for your long-term health.

ECONOMIST: Bond markets

Many doctors are still reluctant to prescribe sleeping pills, which are considered potentially habit-forming and, for many users, cause next-day hangovers.

FORBES: Who's making big bucks off your insomnia?

There is some truth in this at least for opiates but no more than for alcohol and nicotine, which are both notoriously habit-forming.

ECONOMIST: Shopping for a drugs policy

Part of the explanation is that parliamentary rebellion, rather like adultery, is habit-forming: at first it feels impossible, then transgressive and finally mundane.

ECONOMIST: Bagehot

Many of life's pleasures, unfortunately, are both unhealthy and habit-forming, but people do have a choice about whether to take them up in the first place.

ECONOMIST: Blowing smoke

Next in Terlings Park's pipeline is an antianxiety drug that may have the benefits of Valium without the accompanying drowsiness, temporary memory loss and habit-forming effects.

FORBES: Betting on the brain