DRUGS

Caffeine is the most widely used psychoactive substance in the world.

A drug is a substance which is not food,^[1] and which, when ingested, affects the functioning of the mind, or the body, or both. However, under the philosophy of Chinese medicine, food is also considered a drug as it affects particular parts of body and cures some diseases.

Drugs used as medicines

Main article: Medication

A medication is a drug taken to cure or reduce symptoms of an illness or medical condition. Medications are generally divided into two groups -- over the counter (OTC) medications, which are available in pharmacies and supermarkets without special restrictions, and Prescription only medicines (POM), which must be prescribed by a physician. Most OTC medications are generally considered to be safe enough that most people will not hurt themselves if they are taken as instructed. Many countries, such as the UK have a third category of pharmacy medicines which can only be sold in registered pharmacies, by or under the supervision of a pharmacist. However, the precise distinction between OTC and prescription depends on the legal jurisdiction. Medications are typically produced by pharmaceutical companies and are often patented. Those that are not patented are called generic drugs.

Recreational drugs

Main article: Recreational drug use

Recreational drug use is the use of psychoactive drugs for recreational purposes rather than for work, medical or spiritual purposes, although the distinction is not always clear. Regardless of medical supervision, this label does not apply to the use of drugs for utilitarian purposes, such as the relief of fatigue or insomnia, or the control of appetite.

List of drugs

See list of drugs for an alphabetical list of drugs by name. Many drugs have more than one name and, therefore, the same drug may be listed more than once. Brand names and generic names are differentiated by the use of capital initials for the former.

Footnotes

1. ^ Some substances, such as beers, wines, and some fungi, are sometimes regarded as both foods and drugs

See also

• Illegal drug trade
• Medication
• Placebo (origins of technical term)
• Prescription drug
• Psychoactive drug
• Recreational drug use
• List of songs about drugs

External links

• History of Drugs From High Times Encyclopedia of Recreational Drugs - 1977