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What is it meant by “Drugs”?


It is needless to say that the term ‘drug’ is a conversational topic in current society. It is because of the unavoidable disaster happening to the society due to illicit drugs. Geetanjali Nagpal, Amy Winehouse, Whitney Houston, Matthew Perry like celebrities can be taken as instance to prove this. Simply, drug is any substance that, when inhaled, injected, smoked, consumed, absorbed via a patch on the skin, or dissolved under the tongue causes a physiological and often psychological change in the body. Unfortunately, there is a common misinterpretation among society that drugs mean only illegal substances that intoxicate people. In order to solve this issue, it is useful to clarify what really drugs are.

According to the WHO, “A drug is any substance or product that is used or intended to be used to modify or explore physiological systems or pathological states for the benefit of the patient”.

This definition mentions three characteristics of drugs;

  • Drug is a substance or product.

This means drug is a physical or tangible material. For instance, Cannabis or Marijuana is a psychoactive drug made from the Cannabis plant that can be used by smoking, vaporizing, within food, or as an extract. This natural ingredient is made in different version (that can be touched or seen or smelled) according to different purposes by man.

  • It can modify or explore physiological systems or pathological states of a person.

Drugs can be used to identify and change human body and the issues with it. Drugs can maintain or control human body positively or negatively. It can cure or worse the condition. In this purpose, it is a must to identify that there are two types of drugs as pharmaceutical drugs that are used for medical purposes (Ex: Penadol, Ventoline, Piriton, Domperidone) and illegal drugs which can be named as psychoactive drugs (Ex: Cocaine, Cannabis, Moonshine). Pharmaceutical drugs maintain and control human body positively while psychoactive drugs do it negatively.

But, on the other hand this process happens vice versa. That means, for an example, while cannabis mostly used for recreational and entheogenic purposes, it can also be used for medical puposes and also while Cetirizine or Piriton is used for medical puposes, they can also be used to have well sleep.

  • It is used for the benefit of the patient.

Whatever the type or the purpose of the drug, finally drugs can make human happy. It can be proved by the above mentioned example under the second point.

American Psychology Association defines drugs as, “any substance, other than food, that influences motor, sensory, cognitive, or other bodily processes. Drugs generally are administered for experimental, diagnostic, or treatment purposes, but also tend to be used recreationally to achieve particular effects”.

It bolds that drugs never cannot be considered as food that we have in our day today life for healthy purposes. But it is to say that sometimes drugs are added to food by several people for several reasons. A mother can add drug for breast milk when the baby is below 6 months and unable to have drugs directly. A rapist can add intoxicative drug for the victim’s drink to make victim unconscious.

This definition also provides the ways that drugs can affect to human body. Stating that drug influences motor, sensory, cognitive, or other bodily processes, it easily expose, drugs can affect to the whole human body. For an example, Domperidone or Motiliam is an anti-sickness medicine that helps to stop feeling or being sick (nausea or vomiting). It can also be used to treat stomach pain while sometimes used to increase milk supply. It can make mouth dry. Taking too much Domperidone can make fast or irregular heartbeat. Taking Domperidone in a sick condition can psychologically affects as letting the brain know that sickness going to be cured. 

This definition mainly consider about drug usage (positive) than drug abuse (negative), because drug abuse is mentioned as an alternative point.

As mentioned by National Institution of Health, drug is, “Any substance (other than food) that is used to prevent, diagnose, treat, or relieve symptoms of a disease or abnormal condition. Drugs can also affect how the brain and the rest of the body work and cause changes in mood, awareness, thoughts, feelings, or behavior. Some types of drugs, such as opioids, may be abused or lead to addiction”.

As it is mentioned, drugs are used to treat diseases or symptoms of diseases or abnormal conditions. One hand this provides a definition to the term ‘drug usage’. Other hand it states how drugs can affect human body. That is, how the body is working can be affected by drugs.

For an example, when Cetirizine is taken for viral infection or asthma, it is absorbed to the blood and cure infection. Also it makes individual sleepy. If a person took Ice, Crystal methamphetamine or Shabu, that person feel pleasure and confidence, increase alertness and energy, repeat simple things like itching and scratching, reduce appetite and have increased sex drive. They have enlarged pupils and dry mouth, grinded teeth and excessive sweating as well as fast heart rate and breathing.

According to this definition, drugs can be abused or lead to addiction. For example, although Corex D was a pharmaceutical drug used in Sri Lanka, it was abused by several people and committed suicide. As it, although pharmaceutical drugs used for medication purpose it can be used negatively too. Illegal drugs or psychoactive drugs are what mostly known under drug abuse category. For instance, Opium, Opioids, and Cocaine can be given.

According to all above definitions, it is clear that, drugs are not what society generally understood. It is more than what seems at first glance. There’s a big and complex interaction between drugs and human body. It can support human body in a positive manner while make huge disasters. This can be proven by the phrase, “drugs and music are an escape from reality”.

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