Expanded Key Terms

An addiction to the consumption of alcoholic liquor; a mental illness and compulsive behavior resulting from alcohol dependency.

Alcoholism is an addiction to consuming alcohol to be able to function in society. Alcoholism is a compulsive type of behavior and is a symptom of alcohol dependency where the body requires alcohol to be able to operate at normal status. Alcoholism can have severe lifelong effects and also can be transmitted through social and biological factors.

Drinking five or more drinks on the same occasion on at least one day in the past 30 days.

Binge drinking can vary in the specific number of alcoholic drinks consumed in a period between men and women, with men having a slightly higher number than women. Regardless, binge drinking is highly damaging to the body and can have severe lifelong effects. Binge drinking is often used as a coping mechanism for many people with social or mental illnesses and can also become a developed dependency through repeated use.

A medical drug used to lower brain neurotransmission levels that cause depression or long periods of sadness.

Depressants are drugs that lower neurotransmitter levels in the brain and help treat cases of depression or other sadness-related mental illnesses. Depressants are prescribed and administered by medical professionals. Depressants can be misused but, when taken properly, are effective at treating specific mental illnesses.

Any substance whose properties produce psychophysiological changes when ingested.

A drug is any substance that is used to create an effect that is psychological, biological, or any combination of the two. Drugs can be administered through a medicinal sense in which a prescription is required, or drugs can be taken recreationally. Drugs undergo regulations through laws and social norms that determine which substances are acceptable to use and which substances are not, as well as what settings are acceptable for drug use and what settings are not. Pharmaceutical over-the-counter drugs are drugs deemed safe to purchase and use without a prescription from a medical professional. These drugs are classified as over-the-counter by a governmental or ethical regulatory committee. Examples of pharmaceutical over-the-counter drugs include allergy medicine, antibiotic ointments, and more. Homeopathic over-the-counter drugs are natural substances and remedies that are available to purchase without a medical professional’s approval and/or prescription. Examples of homeopathic over-the-counter drugs include lavender, green tea, peppermint, and more.

Use of psychoactive substances in a way that creates social, psychological, or physical problems for the user.

Drug abuse is the use of drugs and other substances, in such a way that it ends up creating a dependence and a negative effect for the user over time rather than benefiting them. Drug abuse can cause severe consequences even including death, or it can lead to minor consequences, such as heightened mental illness and states of unpleasantness. Drug abuse usually takes extended periods to develop, but can also be affected by biological and social factors.

Special courts divert drug offenders to treatment programs in place of probation or incarceration.

Drug courts are specific courts in the U.S. legal system, as well as other legal systems around the globe that, rather than incarcerating people charged with drug use or drug abuse, choose to send them to treatment programs with the hope of rehabilitating them to be members of society who do not rely on substances. These functions of drug courts play a vital role in helping de-stigmatize drug use and drug abuse and helping strengthen the original purpose of the judicial system: to rehabilitate people who experience deviance to become members of society who are beneficial and healthy.

The ingestion of substances in order to produce changes in the body or mind that alter the way the world is experienced.

Drug use is a term used to describe the physical act of taking a substance. Drug use is often associated with a negative connotation related to the consumption of illegal substances in unhealthy amounts. Drug use can be generalized to any consumption or use of a substance, whether medical or recreational.

An approach to drug policy aimed at minimizing or eliminating the harms associated with drug use behaviors.

Harm reduction is a specific approach to dealing with drug abuse and drug-related issues in society in which governments or organizations set up systems where the harm caused by misusing drugs can be reduced without preventing drug use from being completely stopped. Harm reduction is an approach that understands that drug use and drug abuse can often be difficult to stop immediately, and in some individuals, have become such a large part of their lives that they are dependent on daily activities and existence. As a result, harm reduction aims to provide safe spaces for people to use drugs and medical services in case of an emergency.

Any intentional use of a medication with intoxicating properties outside of a physician’s prescription for a genuine condition.

Prescription drug abuse is similar to drug abuse, except it is specifically applied to the misuse of prescription drugs. Prescription drugs are administered by a medical professional in calculated doses to elicit specific effects. Prescription drug abuse is most often associated with individuals who take prescription drugs without having a proper prescription to take that drug, but it can also extend to individuals who have prescription drugs properly prescribed to them and still use them in doses larger than they should be taking.

Global campaign for drug prohibition, military aid, and military intervention to reduce the illegal drug trade.

The war on drugs in America started in 1971 with President Nixon. It was continued and arguably worsened by President Reagan. The war on drugs is a global campaign for drug prohibition to reduce and stop the illegal drug trade in and out of a certain nation. In the U.S., the war on drugs has become heavily associated with racial and ethnic differential justice in the criminal justice system. The prosecution of substance users according to which communities they live in highlights the continued racism and systemic bias that continues in the U.S. today.