General Article Get the facts about drugs

Topic Selected: Drugs
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What are drugs? Technically speaking, they are chemical substances that affect the normal functioning of the body and/or brain. Not all drugs are illegal. For example, caffeine (found in coffee or Coca-Cola), nicotine (in cigarettes) and alcohol are all technically legal drugs, although they are usually not referred to as such. Medicines, whether prescribed by a doctor or available over the counter at pharmacies, are legal drugs to help us recover from illnesses, although they can also be abused.

Illegal drugs are drugs that are so harmful that countries across the world have decided to control them. Countries have passed several international laws, in the form of United Nations conventions, that specify which drugs are controlled.

All the drugs discussed in this article are illegal. This means that generally, it is against the law to own, use or sell these drugs worldwide.

Drugs tend to have several street names and this article will tell you some of them. However, it is not a comp...

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