Bluejaybird,
I have no personal experience with this but am told there's a bit of rush in the ritual. I suppose it's like the rush I used to get coming home from the store with my cheap wine. A friend of mine who's a recovering heroin addict tells me she gets huge cravings from the smell of isopryl alcohol as she used to clean her needles and swab her arm in the isopryl alcohol.
I think your boyfriend is on thin ice. I hope you're taking care of yourself with alanon and maybe reading some books/literature on codependency.
Please take care of you!
love from Lenina