The legal drugs they are completely legal intoxicating drugs by law. The most common is alcohol but a wide variety of other drugs are not prohibited by many international jurisdictions..
These types of drugs can range from intoxicating plants historically used by indigenous cultures, to designer drugs that have not been defined as illegal, or even medicines that have anesthetic or intoxicating effects..
According to the World Health Organization, drug is a term used in medicine to refer to any substance with the potential to prevent or cure a disease. However, in colloquial language, the word drug is used to define psychoactive substances that are used for recreational purposes..
A drug is a substance that, when ingested, manages to make changes in the person's brain function.
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In today's society there is a clear association between drugs and illegality. Most substances of abuse are prohibited, and both their consumption and marketing are regulated by current legislation..
However, unlike what may seem at first glance, not all drugs are illegal today. There are many substances that generate addiction and important brain disorders that can be obtained and consumed completely legally.
The fact of "legalizing" or rather "not illegalizing" a psychoactive substance carries a series of risks. The feeling of danger or prohibition regarding these drugs tends to be less, so their use and consumption is easier.
For this reason, it is very important to know exactly what characteristics legal drugs have, and above all what negative components their consumption can lead to..
Alcohol is the legal drug par excellence. It is popularly associated with psychoactive components, so its ability to generate brain modifications is not widely discussed today..
However, the risks of its consumption seem to be somewhat more confusing. In fact, a recent survey carried out in Spain revealed that alcohol has a high tolerance and a low perception of risk by society.
Today there is a wide range of beverages that contain ethanol. Its consumption affects multiple brain regions, modifying its functioning.
With reduced amounts, dopamine is activated, a fact that provides motor activation, euphoria and pleasure. Subsequently, the functioning of serotonin is altered, generating social disinhibition and antidepressant effects.
However, the effect of alcohol does not end here. Acetylcholine is stimulated, producing nootropic, vasodilator and aphrodisiac effects. And immediately afterwards, an inhibitory substance in the brain, GABA, is increased. This fact causes motor incoordination, and sedation.
Finally, alcohol also acts on glutamate and opioids, causing analgesia, anesthesia and even a state of coma or death..
Likewise, alcohol has a clear addictive component, causing both physical and psychological dependence. In fact, alcoholism is one of the world's leading health problems..
Excessive alcohol consumption has negative consequences for the body such as: neuronal damage, heart damage, neuronal hypertension, pancreatitis, liver diseases, malnutrition, insomnia, dementia, depression, esophageal cancer and brain disorders.
The other big legal drug is nicotine, which is used mainly through tobacco. The rate of use of this substance is highly high. In fact, a recent national health survey indicates that 30% of the Spanish population in 2016 is a smoker.
Tobacco acts at the brain level by altering the functioning of dopamine. This fact does not cause psychological or mental alterations, but it does cause a clear addiction.
Many studies show that nicotine is one of the most addictive drugs that exist today.
Tobacco abuse causes multiple physical alterations. Tobacco has been associated with multiple diseases such as cancer of the lung, heart, uterus, mouth and nose, lung diseases, chronic bronchitis, emphysema, osteoporosis or heart disease among many others.
Opioids are exogenous agents that bind to opioid receptors in the central nervous system of people. These substances are attached to brain structures related to pain. For this reason, multiple drugs have been designed with these characteristics..
Medications such as vicodin, oxycontin, percocet or morphine are some of the most widely used opioids today.
However, its purely medicinal use is in question today. The addictive potential of opioids is very high, which is why their medical use can lead to abuse.
In fact, in the United States the consumption of opioids increases daily, and the number of people who die from overdose of these substances is currently a serious health problem.
Thus, opioids are necessary drugs in some cases of extreme pain. However, one must be very cautious with their consumption, since the consequences of these substances can be devastating.
Benzodiazepines are one of the most widely used anxiolytic drugs today. They include popularly known drugs such as xanx, klonopin or valium.
Despite their undoubted therapeutic efficacy, since they are useful substances to intervene episodes of anxiety, the consumption of these substances is also highly addictive.
In fact, just as with opioids, more and more people are becoming addicted to these substances. The abuse of benzodiazepines causes intoxications similar to those of alcohol, affecting the performance of mental functions and damaging the body.
Caffeine is an alkaloid from the group of xanthines. It is consumed by drinking coffee and acts as a psychoactive, stimulant and slightly dissociative drug. In fact, many people use these drinks as brain stimulants, to increase their activity in the morning or to improve their performance capacity..
The controlled consumption of this substance does not usually produce negative effects on health. However, it is also not true to say that caffeine does not cause any type of harm.
This drug can be addictive, especially in those people who consume it continuously and compulsively. Likewise, consumption in very large quantities can cause symptoms such as insomnia, nervousness, excitement, increased diuresis and gastrointestinal problems..
On the other hand, caffeine can cause cardiac arrhythmia, psychomotor agitation and damage to health can be especially dangerous in children and young people.
Currently there is a wide range of energy drinks that are characterized by stimulating effects. The substances that these products present are usually mainly taurine and caffeine.
Caffeine can be addictive and harmful to health, especially if consumed in large quantities. Energy drinks are characterized by abnormally high amounts of caffeine, which is why they can be harmful to health.
Taurine, for its part, is an organic acid that intervenes in the formation of bile and modifies brain function, providing energy and altering the mood..
Many studies have focused on examining the effects of these drinks on health, and it is concluded that they are especially dangerous when mixed with other substances, especially alcohol.
Anabolic steroids are synthetic variations of testosterone. They are used to treat the side effects of low testosterone and to help build muscle mass in men with serious illnesses such as cancer or AIDS..
However, in recent years the use of these substances has become widespread among healthy people who want to increase their physical performance..
In addition, anabolic steroids have addictive components, so their consumption can become dangerous. Long-term abuse of these substances can cause severe mood swings, irritability, paranoia, and aggressive behavior..
Codeine is an alkaloid that occurs naturally in opium. This substance is used for therapeutic purposes thanks to its sedative, analgesic and antitussive properties. Its composition is very similar to morphine, which is why it is a highly addictive substance.
Many easily accessible medicines, such as cough syrups, have more or less high codeine compositions. Therefore, it is advisable to take this type of drug with caution..
Ambien is one of the most widely used drugs today to combat insomnia and help people sleep. However, as with many psychotropic drugs, the environment is highly addictive.
For this reason, many people who start using this drug end up developing dependence on the environment to sleep. In addition, the abuse of this drug can report side effects. Anxiety and sleepwalking appear to be the most prevalent.
Other plant stimulants similar to coffee can produce a high alteration of the psychological functioning of people. In fact, substances such as tea, mate, cocoa, guarana, betel, cato or cola are highly psychoactive.
These drugs perform a clear stimulating function in the brain. This means that they increase neuronal activity and provide feelings of energy and vitality to the person who consumes them..
In general, the addictive component of plant stimulants is not very high, so they can be consumed without becoming addicted to them..
However, this does not mean that they cannot end up causing addiction, and that many users end up depending on these substances.
When this happens, the consumption of plant stimulants tends to increase and the person may begin to abuse them. The excessive and impulsive use of these substances can be harmful to both the physical state and the psychological functioning of the person.
Methadone is a synthetic opioid that is used to treat pain. In addition, this drug is frequently used to help people who are dependent on other opioids, especially heroin, in the detoxification process..
Methadone is readily available under its trademark dolofin, and although it is used as a detoxification treatment, it can also have detrimental health effects..
In fact, methadone, like all opioids, is a highly addictive substance. For this reason it can generate addiction, intoxication and even cause death.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is one of the psychopathologies that has been most diagnosed in recent years. Along with this phenomenon, drugs designed to treat the disease have also recently increased.
Today a wide variety of medications are available such as Ritalin, Adderall or Concerta. These psychotropic drugs are characterized by stimulating effects on the central nervous system.
The addictive component of these drugs is high, so that in recent years there have been numerous cases of abuse and addictive consumption of these substances.
Likewise, compulsive use of these drugs causes negative health consequences. It can cause hallucinations, heart rhythm disturbances, obsessions, paranoia and insomnia.
Inhalant drugs refer to a wide range of substances that are consumed by inhaling the mouth and / or nose.
These elements are not designed or manufactured to be consumed, but rather have other types of functionalities. Some examples of products that can act as inhalant drugs if consumed by inhaling their substances are gasoline, glue, or paints..
In recent years, the consumption of these products has increased due to their ease of obtaining and the psychostimulant effects that they produce when they are consumed..
Recently, what is known as “legal highs” are being inserted into society. These products constitute new psychoactive substances that are outside the legislation and that, therefore, are considered as "illegal" .
An example of "legal highs" is diphenidine, a compound similar to ketimania but which, being different from this, is a legal drug today.
Some studies suggest that these "new drugs" that are developed in chemical laboratories could be numerous and very diverse. Most of them seek the production of psychostimulant effects, similar to those of ecstasy or methamphetamines.
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