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A drug is any chemical or biological substance, synthetic or non-synthetic, that when taken into the organism's body, will in some way alter the functions of that organism. This broad definition can be taken to include such substances as food. However more strict applications of the word prevail in everyday life. In these cases the word "drug" is usually used to refer specifically to medicine, vitamins, entheogenic sacraments, consciousness expanding or recreational drugs. Many natural substances such as beers, wines, and some mushrooms, blur the line between food and drugs, as when ingested they affect the functioning of both mind and body. The word "drug" is etymologically derived from the Dutch/Low German word "droog", which means "dry", since in the past, most drugs were dried plant parts.

Drugs are usually distinguished from endogenous biochemicals by being introduced from outside the organism. For example, insulin is a hormone that is synthesized in the body; it is called a hormone when it is synthesized by the pancreas inside the body, but if it is introduced into the body from outside, it is called a drug.

Medication

A medication or medicine is a drug taken to cure and/or ameliorate any symptoms of an illness or medical condition, or may be used as preventive medicine that has future benefits but does not treat any existing or pre-existing diseases or symptoms.

Dispensing of medication is often regulated by governments into three categories — over-the-counter (OTC) medications, which are available in pharmacies and supermarkets without special restrictions, behind-the-counter (BTC), which are dispensed by a pharmacist without needing a doctor's prescription, and Prescription only medicines (POM), which must be prescribed by a licensed medical professional, usually a physician.

Most over-the-counter medications are generally considered to be safe enough that most people will not hurt themselves if they are taken as instructed. In the UK, BTC medicines are called 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 drugs depends on the legal jurisdiction.

Medications are typically produced by pharmaceutical companies and are often patented to give the developer exclusive rights to produce them, but they can also be derived from naturally occurring substance in plants called herbal medicine. Those that are not patented (or with expired patents) are called generic drugs since they can be produced by other companies without restrictions or licenses from the patent holder.

Drugs, both medications and recreational can be administered in a number of ways:

• Orally, as a liquid or solid (pill), that is absorbed through the stomach.
• Inhaled, (breathed into the lungs), as a vapor.
• Injected as a liquid either intramuscular or intravenous (put under the skin, into a vein or muscle tissue with the use of a hypodermic needle).
• Rectally as a suppository, that is absorbed by the colon.
• Vaginally as a suppository, primarily to treat vaginal infections.
• Bolus, a substance into the stomach to dissolve slowly.

Many drugs can be administered in a variety of ways.

Recreation

Recreational drug use is the use of psychoactive drugs for recreational purposes rather than for work, medical or spiritual purposes. Much controversy has arisen over recreational drug use, and governments across the world have regulated the consumption and/or distribution of drugs in the name of fighting drug abuse, but many countries' laws are criticized for being passed under ulterior motives or for being hypocritical. This seems to be changing, slowly, as Canada follows the Netherlands' lead and largely decriminalizes marijuana. Kids often take drugs to look popular in front of there friendly acquaintances. Teenagers often will partake in marijuana use and distributing to rebel against their parental advisers. .

Legal definition of drugs

Some countries also defined what a drug is by law. In the United States, the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act defines a drug as being an article "intended for use in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease in man or other animals" or an article "(other than food) intended to affect the structure or any function of the body of man or other animals." FDCA § 201(g)(1)

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. Some drugs may have slang names and may need to be accessed using those names.

Controversy

Drug companies research the effects that their drugs have in clinical trials. However, a 2004 New York Times article says that some drug companies refuse to disclose the results of such testing, especially when results are poor. Such was the case when the FDA was investigating a reported increase in the rates of suicide for people given antidepressants where the effects were unknown for children.

See also

• Drug abuse
• Drug addiction
• Drug development
• Drug injection
• Narcotics
• Enzyme inhibitor
• Generic drug
• Illegal drug trade
• Lifestyle drug
• Medication
• Placebo (origins of technical term)
• Prescription drug
• Psychoactive drug
• Recreational drug use
• The Yogurt Connection

References

1. MEIER, BARRY (2004 Nov 29). "Contracts Keep Drug Research Out of Reach". Page 1 Business Section, New York Times. Retrieved 2007-07-02. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)

External links

• Get rid of drugs. Drug Addiction Treatment Useful resource website with detailed information on drugs and how to treat drug addiction. "Say NO to drugs" May 4 2007
• The Cult of Pharmacology: How America Became the World's Most Troubled Drug Culture by Richard DeGrandpre, Duke University Press, 2006.
• 'don't drug + drive' German web-site providing information on the influence of recreational drugs in driving.

• Drugs