drug use

Table of Contents

Introduction
Characteristics of drug use and abuse
- The functions of psychotropic drugs
- The nature of drug addiction and dependence
  - Popular misconceptions
  - Physiological effects of addiction
  - Addiction, habituation, and dependence
  - Psychological dependence
  - Other affects on mental health
- History of drug control
  - International controls
  - National controls
  - Extent of contemporary drug abuse
Social and ethical issues of drug abuse
- Conflicting values in drug use
- Youth and drugs
Psychotropic drugs
- Opium, morphine, heroin, and related synthetics
  - History of opiates
  - Physiological effects of opiates
  - Opiate addiction
  - Means of administration
  - Therapy for opiate addiction
- Hallucinogenic drugs
  - Types of hallucinogens
  - History of hallucinogens
  - Physiological and psychological effects of hallucinogens
  - Hallucinogen abuse
- Barbiturates, stimulants, and tranquilizers
  - Barbiturates
  - Cocaine
  - Amphetamines
  - Tranquilizers
- Cannabis
  - Types of cannabis preparations
  - History of cannabis use and regulation
  - Physiological and psychological effects of cannabis

References & Edit History Related Topics

Images

methamphetamine

Read Next

Drug syringe and cooked heroin on spoon

The U.S. Opioid Epidemic

Woman Smoking Marijuana In Plantation

What Are the Biological Effects of Marijuana Use?

Opium. Opium poppy. Papaver somniferum. Seed. Spice. Poppy seed. Pile of poppy seeds.

Can Eating Poppy Seeds Make You Fail a Drug Test?

Young woman vaping, face obscured by vape cloud

Pro and Con: Vaping

Pack of cigarettes

Snuffing Out Smoking

Discover

Solar eclipse of the sun.

The Sun Was Eaten: 6 Ways Cultures Have Explained Eclipses

Aphrodite. Greek mythology. Sculpture. Aphrodite is the Greek goddess of love and beauty.

12 Greek Gods and Goddesses

Black widow spider

9 of the World’s Deadliest Spiders

After a perfect launch, spectators try to catch a last glimpse of Space Shuttle Columbia, barely visible at the top end of the twisted column of smoke.

7 Accidents and Disasters in Spaceflight History

Julius Caesar in full Gaius Julius Caesar (100? BCE-44 BCE) statue in Rimini, Italy. Roman general and statesman and dictator

The Time Julius Caesar Was Captured by Pirates

Vietnam War. U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson awards the Distinguished Service Cross to First Lieutenant Marty A. Hammer, during a visit to military personnel, Cam Ranh Bay, South Vietnam, October 26, 1966. President Johnson

Vietnam War Timeline

Solar Eclipse, Eclipse, Solar Flare, Outer Space, Astronomy

What Causes Lunar and Solar Eclipses?

drug use: Related Content

Written and fact-checked by The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Photos

methamphetamine

See All Images →

Topics

vaping smoking alcohol consumption teetotalism alcoholism smoking cessation intoxication drinking pattern passive smoking blood alcohol concentration reproductive behaviour human sexual activity locomotion collective behaviour humour communication thought aggressive behaviour feeding behaviour social movement

Dig Deeper: More Articles That Discuss This Topic

sports: Human performance and the use of drugs

Demystified

Opium. Opium poppy. Papaver somniferum. Seed. Spice. Poppy seed. Pile of poppy seeds.

Can Eating Poppy Seeds Make You Fail a Drug Test?