Drugs and the Body

Drugs and the Body

What do you do when you have a headache? You probably take some aspirin or other pain reliever. Pain relievers are drugs. A drug is any chemical, other than food, that causes a change in how the body works. There are many kinds of drugs, some are very helpful. They relieve pain, stimulate healing, and help fight infections. Other drugs, however, can be harmful depending on how they are used.

Types of Drugs

Think about your local pharmacy. Dozens of different drugs fill the shelves. There are drugs for just about any injury or illness you can think of. Most of the drugs displayed on the shelves are over the counter, OTC, drugs. OTC drugs can be bought without a doctor’s prescription. These drugs are usually taken for short – term problems like head colds.

Serious illnesses usually require prescription drugs, such as antibiotics. These drugs have the potential to cause the user harm. So the amount of a prescription drug to be taken is carefully controlled by a doctor.

Other legal drugs include caffeine in coffee and cola drinks, nicotine in cigarettes, and ethyl alcohol in beer, wine and liquor. Although these drugs are widely used, they have no medical value. Nicotine and alcohol, in fact, can cause serious harm, as you will learn later in this chapter.

Finally, there are drugs that have such great potential to harm the user that they have been outlawed. Illegal drugs include heroin, cocaine, LSD, PCP, marijuana and crack.