Legal and illegal drugs

Legal drugs are drugs that are prescribed to a patient by their doctor or bought over the counter. Illegal drugs include prescription drugs that have been dangerously modified and substances that are banned by law.

Recreational drugs

Recreational drugs are taken by people to alter their mood.

• alcohol and tobacco are legal recreational drugs
• heroin and cocaine are illegal recreational drugs

Many drugs alter the chemical processes in the body in such a way that the person taking them becomes addicted to them. They feel they have to take the drugs, and they suffer unpleasant withdrawal symptoms if they stop taking them. All four drugs listed above are addictive. Heroin and cocaine are very addictive, and may cause permanent mental problems.

The impact on health

All drugs have the potential to damage our health, because they change chemical processes in the body. Addictive recreational drugs may damage our health indirectly by reducing the amount of money available to buy food, and by placing users in dangerous situations. Injecting any drug with a needle and syringe that someone else has used may lead to a number of diseases from infected blood, including HIV and hepatitis. Users of illegal drugs may turn to crime to pay for their habit, and this affects the lives of other people.

A research report in 2006 classified various drugs according to their health and social risks, without reference to whether they are legal or not. In the report, heroin and cocaine are the most dangerous two drugs, alcohol is the fifth most dangerous and tobacco is ninth.

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