Drug

For other meanings, see Drug (disambiguation)

A drug is any substance that can be used to treat an illness, relieve a symptom, or modify a chemical process or processes in the body. The term is necessarily a vague one, being defined by intent: for example, foods consumed for normal metabolism are not generally considered "drugs", but the same foods consumed for a more specific purpose (such as the use of alcohol as a depressant or caffeine as a stimulant) may be. Depending on the definition used, the same substance may even be considered both a food and a drug at the same time. In a medical context, the term "medication" is frequently used to refer to drugs, presumably to avoid conflation with recreational drugs.

In the United States, drugs are distributed by pharmacies, which in turn purchase drugs from pharmaceutical companies. Most drugs are extremely expensive when first distributed. When the patent for the drug runs out, a generic is usually created by a competing company and released, causing the price to drop markedly.

Drugs may be classified in many different ways, according to mechanism of action, effects, or even legal status.

Analgesic (painkiller) drugs
- Aspirin or acetylsalicylic acid
- Acetaminophen (also known as paracetamol, or under its trade name Tylenol)
- Ibuprofen (also known under the trade names Advil, Motrin, Nuprin and Brufen)
- Opiates, powerful, addictive narcotic painkillers which are also used recreationally for their euphoric effects
  - Morphine
  - Heroin
  - Codeine
  - Synthetic variants such as Vicodin, Percocet, Darvocet, Ultracet, etc.

Recreational drugs usually used to alter mood or body function for recreation

Performance-enhancing drugs (for sport or combat).

Lifestyle drugs used to enhance quality of life by addressing typically non-serious conditions
- Viagra
- Rogaine
- Antidepressants are sometimes classed as lifestyle drugs

Psychiatric drugs (see also psychopharmacology)
- Antidepressants
  - Prozac
  - Paxil
- Tranquilizers
  - Typical antipsychotic tranquilizers
    - Thorazine
  - Atypical antipsychotic tranquilizers
- Sedatives
  - Valium

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Regulations

Usage of most of drugs is regulated to some extent. While details vary with location, these are somewhat usual regulations in the Western world:

Not regulated:

Caffeine

Regulated to some extent (age or labeling requirements, for example) but available over the counter:

DXM/dextromethorphan
Acetylsalicylic acid (such as aspirin)
Acetaminophen (also known as paracetamol) (such as Tylenol)
Alcohol (although in some nations with an Islamic background, alcohol is prohibited)
Nicotine
Ephedrine and pseudoephedrine (illegal in US since Jan 2004)
Taurine

Prescription drugs, prohibited for non-medical use:

Varies from tolerated to prohibited for medical use:

Cannabis
Salvia divinorum (prohibited in Australia, tolerated elsewhere)

Varies from prohibited for non-medical use to prohibited for any use

Prohibited for any use, no medical uses currently allowed

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UN documents

Three international UN treaties regulate drugs laws:

UN Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs from 1961, see http://www.incb.org/e/conv/1961/index.htm
UN Convention on Psychotropic Substances from 1971, see http://www.incb.org/e/conv/1971/index.htm
UN Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances from 1988, see http://www.incb.org/e/conv/1988/index.htm

The UN Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention (http://www.undcp.org/) is charged with overseeing these treaties and maintains a list of signatory nations at http://www.undcp.org/treaty_adherence.html.

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Drug

Regulations

UN documents

See also