Topic: The Club House / Oregon Drug Treatment Centers

A drug, broadly speaking, is any substance that, when absorbed into the body of a living organism, alters normal bodily function.³ There is no single, precise definition, as there are different meanings in drug control law, government regulations, medicine, and colloquial usage.⁴

In pharmacology, Dictionary.com defines a drug as “a chemical substance used in the treatment, cure, prevention, or diagnosis of disease or used to otherwise enhance physical or mental well-being.”⁴ Drugs may be prescribed for a limited duration, or on a regular basis for chronic disorders.⁵

Recreational drugs are chemical substances that affect the central nervous system, such as opioids or hallucinogens.⁵ They may be used for perceived beneficial effects on perception, consciousness, personality, and behavior.⁵⁶ Some drugs can cause addiction and habituation.⁶

Drugs are usually distinguished from endogenous biochemicals by being introduced from outside the organism.[citation needed] For example, insulin is a hormone that is synthesized in the body; it is called a hormone when it is synthesized by the pancreas inside the body, but if it is introduced into the body from outside, it is called a drug.[citation needed]

Many natural substances such as beers, wines, and some mushrooms, blur the line between food and drugs, as when ingested they affect the functioning of both mind and body.

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