Drug

From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A drug is any biological substance that is not taken for dietary needs. Some drugs are taken for illnesses and some are taken for fun. Usually a doctor will give someone a drug for an illness to make them well. People take drugs for fun because they affect the body or brain in different ways. Drugs that are taken for fun are called "recreational" and drugs for illnesses are called "therapeutic".

Drugs may have bad effects as well as the good effect - these bad effects are called side-effects.

Drugs need to be taken in the right amount. The amount of the drug taken is called a dose. Taking too much of a drug can cause sickness or even death. When a doctor says how much of a drug (the right dose) to take, only that amount should be taken. It is very important to keep taking the drug until the doctor says to stop because someone can feel better and still be sick. When a doctor says what drug to take, how much of it, and for how long, it is called a prescription. Drugs may cause addiction. Some drugs are illegal because they are very addictive.

[edit] Recreational drugs

Recreational drugs can sometimes be bad for someone's health even if they make them feel good. Alcohol can also be dangerous if the person drinking it drives a vehicle after drinking. This is called drunk driving. Many countries make this against the law. Common recreational drugs include:

• Alcohol - In beer, wine and hard liquor
• Nicotine - In cigarettes
• Cannabis (found in marijuana) - Smoked like cigarettes, or baked in something to eat, like a cake or brownie
• Methamphetamine (also known as Crystal Meth) - Can be smoked, eaten, or inhaled.
• Cocaine - can be snorted or injected (freebasing)
• Heroin - can be snorted or injected

[edit] Therapeutic drugs

Therapeutic drugs are also called medicinal drugs, medicine, or medication. Doctors will give therapeutic drugs to someone who is ill to make you better. You can buy these drugs at a pharmacy. Some drugs need a prescription to be bought, other drugs do not. Drugs that do not require a prescription are called "over the counter" medications. There are lots of these drugs for different illnesses. These include:

• Aspirin - For pain
• Paracetamol - For pain
• Penicillin - For infections
• Prozac - For depression (uncontrollable sadness)
• Diazepam - For anxiety (fear)
• Antibiotics - For killing bacteria (germs)