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It's funny how some words can change their meaning over time.
If you've looked at the activity on diet, you'll know that 'diet' has two different meanings. A diet can mean what someone eats i.e. 'their normal diet' or, it can mean that someone is 'on a diet' and reducing the number of calories they eat.
It's the same with 'drugs'. We often hear in the news about 'drugs,' normally we hear about the ones that are illegal and those that have a very negative impact on people's lives.
So, what exactly are drugs and are they all bad?
A drug is a chemical that can change the way our body works. There are three different groups of drugs:
1. Medicinal
2. Recreational
3. Illegal
Medicinal drugs treat disease or relieve symptoms. For example, antibiotics like penicillin or painkillers like paracetamol or ibuprofen.
Recreational drugs are ones that are taken for pleasure. For example, tobacco in cigarettes, alcohol and caffeine in coffee.
Illegal drugs are those that aren't allowed by the law and can be dangerous. Illegal drugs tend to be recreational as well as people choose to take them. Most illegal drugs can cause long term damage. For example, cannabis can cause memory loss and heroin can lead to collapsed veins and liver and kidney disease. Cocaine can lead to blocked arteries in the heart and ecstasy can lead to kidney failure.
People often take these drugs because they like the feelings of pleasure they give.
In this activity, we will identify the different types of drugs.
