Coffee is the most widely used psychotropic beverage in the world. CoFFEE is an Open source Software for computer supported collaborative learning (CSCL in a digital classroom A psychoactive drug or psychotropic substance is a Chemical substance that acts primarily upon the Central nervous system where it alters Brain In 1999 the average consumption of coffee was 3. 5 cups per day per U. S. citizen. ^[1]

The Cigarette is the common pharmaceutical form of tobacco – one of the world’s best selling drugs. A cigarette ( French "small Cigar " from cigar + -ette) is a product consumed through Smoking and manufactured Tobacco is an Agricultural product recognized as an addictive drug processed from the fresh Leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. ^[2]

Wine is a common alcoholic beverage. Wine is an Alcoholic beverage made from the fermentation of Grape juice ^[3]

Cannabis is another commonly used recreational drug^[4]. Cannabis, also known as marijuana or marihuana, or ganja (from Hindi / Sanskrit: गांजा gānjā hemp) is a Recreational drug use is the use of Psychoactive drugs for Recreational purposes rather than for work, medical or spiritual purposes

A drug, broadly speaking, is any chemical substance that, when absorbed into the body of a living organism, alters normal bodily function^[5]. There is no single, precise definition, as there are different meanings in medicine, government regulations, and colloquial usage. Medicine is the art and science of healing It encompasses a range of Health care practices evolved to maintain and restore Human Health by the This article is for the legal term For regulation of genes see Regulation of gene expression. ^[6]

In pharmacology, Dictionary.com defines a drug as "a chemical substance used in the treatment, cure, prevention, or diagnosis of disease or used to otherwise enhance physical or mental well-being. Pharmacology (from Greek grc φάρμακον pharmakon, "drug" and grc -λογία -logia) is the study of how Drugs Referencecom is an online information source that provides Encyclopedia, Dictionary, Thesaurus, and other content A chemical substance is a Material with a definite chemical composition. "^[6] Drugs may be prescribed for a limited duration, or on a regular basis for chronic disorders. In Medicine, a chronic disease is a Disease that is long-lasting or recurrent ^[7]

Recreational drugs are chemical substances that affect the central nervous system, such as opioids or hallucinogens. Recreational drug use is the use of Psychoactive drugs for Recreational purposes rather than for work, medical or spiritual purposes In Vertebrates the central nervous system ( CNS) is the part of the Nervous system which is enclosed in the Meninges. An opioid is a chemical Substance that has a Morphine -like action in the body The general group of pharmacological agents commonly known as hallucinogens can be divided into three broad categories Psychedelics, Dissociatives ^[7] They may be used for perceived beneficial effects on perception, consciousness, personality, and behavior. In Psychology and the Cognitive sciences perception is the process of attaining awareness or understanding of sensory Information. Consciousness has been defined loosely as a constellation of attributes of Mind such as Subjectivity, Self-awareness, Sentience, and the Behavior or behaviour (see spelling differences) refers to the actions or Reactions of an object or Organism, usually ^[7][8] Some recreational drugs can cause addiction and habituation. Drug addiction is widely considered a pathological state. The disorder of addiction involves the progression of acute Drug use to the development of drug-seeking ^[8]

Drugs are usually distinguished from endogenous biochemicals by being introduced from outside the organism. The word endogenous means "arising from within" the opposite of Exogenous. 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. Insulin is a Hormone with intensive effects on both metabolism and several other body systems (eg vascular compliance

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. Beer is the world's oldest and most widely consumed Alcoholic beverage and the third most popular drink overall after water and tea Wine is an Alcoholic beverage made from the fermentation of Grape juice MIND ( Moving In New Directions) (est 1975 is an alternative education high school in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. With regard to living things, a body is the integral physical material of an individual

Medication

Main article: 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. Medication, also referred to as medicine, can be loosely defined as any substance intended for use in the diagnosis cure mitigation treatment or prevention of disease Illness (sometimes referred to as ill-health or ail) can be defined as a state of poor Health. Generally speaking preventive medicine is the part of Medicine engaged with preventing Disease rather than curing it

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. For the government of parliamentary systems see Executive (government. Over-the-counter (OTC drugs are medicines that may be sold without a prescription, in contrast to Prescription drugs The name "over-the-counter" Pharmacy (from the Greek φάρμακον 'pharmakon' = drug is the Health profession that links the Health sciences with the chemical sciences Pharmacists are Health professionals who practice the art and science of Pharmacy. A prescription drug is a licensed medicine that is regulated by legislation to require a prescription before it can be obtained A health care provider or health professional is an organization or person who delivers proper Health care in a systematic way professionally to any individual in A physician, medical practitioner or medical doctor who practices Medicine, and is concerned with maintaining or restoring human Health

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. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located However, the precise distinction between OTC and prescription drugs depends on the legal jurisdiction. In Law, jurisdiction (from the Latin ius iuris meaning "law" and dicere meaning "to speak" is the practical Authority

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. A patent is a set of Exclusive rights granted by a State to an inventor or his assignee for a fixed period of time in exchange for a disclosure of an Herbalism is a traditional Medicinal or Folk medicine practice based on the use of Plants and Plant extracts Herbalism is also known as 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. A generic drug (generic drugs short generics is a drug which is produced and distributed without Patent protection

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

• Orally, as a liquid or solid, that is absorbed through the stomach. In Human anatomy, the stomach is a J-shaped hollow muscular organ of the Gastrointestinal tract involved in the second phase of Digestion, following
• Inhaled, (breathed into the lungs), as a vapor. Inhalation (also known as respiration) is the movement of air from the external environment through the air ways and into the Alveoli.
• Injected as a liquid either: intramuscular, intravenous, intraperitoneal, intraosseous. An injection is an infusion method of putting Liquid into the Body, usually with a hollow needle and a Syringe which is pierced through Intramuscular injection is the injection of a substance directly into a Muscle. Intravenous therapy or IV therapy is the giving of Liquid substances directly into a Vein. Intraperitoneal injection or IP injection is the injection of a substance into the Peritoneum (body cavity Intraosseous infusion is the process of injection directly into the Marrow of the bone
• Rectally as a suppository, that is absorbed by the colon. The rectum (from the Latin rectum intestinum, meaning straight intestine) is the final straight portion of the Large intestine in some Mammals A suppository is a drug delivery system that is inserted either into the Rectum (rectal suppository Vagina (vaginal suppository or Urethra (urethral
• Vaginally as a suppository, primarily to treat vaginal infections. The vagina (from Latin, literally " Sheath " or " Scabbard " is a fibromuscular tubular tract leading from the Uterus A suppository is a drug delivery system that is inserted either into the Rectum (rectal suppository Vagina (vaginal suppository or Urethra (urethral
• Bolus, a substance into the stomach to dissolve slowly.
• Insufflation, or snorted into the nose. Insufflation (Latin insufflatio "blowing on or into" is the practice of inhaling substances into a Body cavity.

Many drugs can be administered in a variety of ways.

Recreation

Main article: Recreational drug use

Further information: Prohibition (drugs)

Recreational drugs use is the use of psychoactive substances to have fun, for the experience, or to enhance an already positive experience. Recreational drug use is the use of Psychoactive drugs for Recreational purposes rather than for work, medical or spiritual purposes The prohibition of drugs through sumptuary Legislation or Religious law is a common means of attempting to control Drug use and the National laws prohibit the use of many different recreational drugs and medicinal drugs that have the potential for recreational use are heavily regulated. Many other recreational drugs on the other hand are legal, widely culturally accepted, and at the most have an age restriction on using and/or purchasing them. These include alcohol, tobacco, betel nut, and caffeine products.

Spiritual and religious use

Main article: Entheogen

The spiritual and religious use of drugs has been occurring since the dawn of our species. An entheogen, in the strictest sense is a Psychoactive substance used in a religious or shamanic (or entheogenic) context Drugs that are considered to have spiritual or religious use are called entheogens. Some religions are based completely off of the use of certain drugs. Entheogens are mostly hallucinogens, being either psychedelics or deliriants, but some are also stimulants and sedatives. The general group of pharmacological agents commonly known as hallucinogens can be divided into three broad categories Psychedelics, Dissociatives Psychedelic drugs are Psychoactive drugs whose primary action is to alter the thought processes of the brain and perception of the mind The deliriants (or Anticholinergics are a special class of acetylcholine -inhibitor Dissociatives The name comes from their primary effect of inducing Stimulant drugs are Drugs that temporarily increase alertness and awareness A sedative, or more specifically a sedative-hypnotic, is a substance that depresses the Central nervous system (CNS resulting in calmness relaxation sleepiness

Nootropics

Main article: Nootropic

Nootropics, also commonly referred to as "smart drugs", are drugs that are claimed to improve human cognitive abilities. '''Nootropics''' popularly referred to as " smart drugs " " smart nutrients " " cognitive enhancers " and " brain enhancers Nootropics are used to improve memory, concentration, thought, mood, learning, and many others things. Some nootropics are now beginning to be used to treat certain diseases such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, Parkinson's disease, and Alzheimer's disease. They are also commonly used to regain brain function lost during aging.

Legal definition of drugs

Some governments define the term drug by law. In the United States, the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act definition of "drug" includes "articles intended for use in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease in man or other animals" and "articles (other than food) intended to affect the structure or any function of the body of man or other animals. The United States Federal Food Drug and Cosmetic Act (abbreviated as FFDCA FDCA or FD&C is a set of laws passed by Congress in 1938 giving authority to the "^[9] Consistent with that definition, the U. S. separately defines narcotic drugs and controlled substances, which may include non-drugs, and explicitly excludes tobacco, caffeine and alcoholic beverages. ^[10]

Etymology

From Dutch droog = "dry", referring to medicinal plants preserved by drying them.

See also

References

1. ^ Deutscher Kaffeeverband (2001-05-04). Medication, also referred to as medicine, can be loosely defined as any substance intended for use in the diagnosis cure mitigation treatment or prevention of disease Placebo is a substance or procedure a patient accepts as medicine or therapy but which has no specific therapeutic activity A prescription drug is a licensed medicine that is regulated by legislation to require a prescription before it can be obtained Psychedelic plants are plants that contain Psychedelic drugs. A psychoactive drug or psychotropic substance is a Chemical substance that acts primarily upon the Central nervous system where it alters Brain Recreational drug use is the use of Psychoactive drugs for Recreational purposes rather than for work, medical or spiritual purposes A prodrug is a pharmacological substance ( drug) that is administered in an inactive (or significantly less active form The War on Drugs is a prohibition campaign undertaken by the United States government with the assistance of participating countries intended to reduce the Illegal Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. Events 1256 - The Augustinian monastic order is constituted at the Lecceto Monastery when Pope Alexander IV Kaffee-Text 1/99 (PDF) (German). Retrieved on 2007-12-14. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1287 - St Lucia's flood: The Zuider Zee sea wall in the Netherlands collapses killing over 50000 people
2. ^ According to the statistic of the Food and Agriculture Organization the production quantity in 2006 of coffee was 7. 8 million tonnes and of tobacco was 6. Units of mass There are three similar units of Mass called the ton: Long ton (simply ton in countries such as the United 7 million tonnes.
3. ^ In Germany ca. 118 l beer, 20 l wine, 4 l sparkling wine and 6 l distilled beverages are consumed per person and year. The litre or liter (see spelling differences) is a unit of Volume. Beer is the world's oldest and most widely consumed Alcoholic beverage and the third most popular drink overall after water and tea Wine is an Alcoholic beverage made from the fermentation of Grape juice
4. ^ Lingeman, Drugs from A-Z A Dictionary, Penguin ISBN 0 7139 0136 5
5. ^ World Health Organisation. (1969). WHO Expert Committee on Drug Dependence. Sixteenth report. (Technical report series. No. 407). Geneva:World Health Organisation.
6. ^ ^{a b} "Drug." Dictionary. com Unabridged (v 1. 1), Random House, Inc., via dictionary. Random House Inc is the world's largest English-language general trade book publisher com. Retrieved on 2007-09-20. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 451 - The Battle of Chalons takes place in North Eastern France.
7. ^ ^{a b c} "Drug." The American Heritage Science Dictionary, Houghton Mifflin Company, via dictionary. Houghton Mifflin Company is a leading educational Publisher in the United States. com. Retrieved on 2007-09-20. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 451 - The Battle of Chalons takes place in North Eastern France.
8. ^ ^{a b} "Drug." Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Inc. , via dictionary. com. Retrieved on 2007-09-20. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 451 - The Battle of Chalons takes place in North Eastern France.
9. ^ "Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act" (Website. ) U. S. Food and Drug Administration. Retrieved on 2007-09-24. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 622 - Prophet Muhammad completes his hegira from Mecca to Medina.
10. ^ "21 USC Sec. 802." (Website. ) U. S. Department of Justice. Retrieved on 2007-09-24. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 622 - Prophet Muhammad completes his hegira from Mecca to Medina.

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.