Isn't alcohol also a drug?

[catalyst8]

A drug is defined as:

A physical substance:
A: that brings a rush.
B: that is hazardous to your health.
C: that is addictive.

So yes, Alcohol is a drug. A socially acceptable drug, because it's been around for ages.
If cigarettes were "invented" today, they would be banned as an illegal drug, make no mistake, and so would alcohol.

I have no idea where you got that, but it isn't an English definition. The OED defines the noun 'Drug' as:
'a medicine or other substance which has a physiological effect when ingested or otherwise introduced into the body'
and
'a substance taken for its narcotic or stimulant effects, often illegally'.

My old Phys-Ed book.
"a substance taken for its narcotic or stimulant effects, often illegally" would make candy a drug, though.
Actually, in a very broad definition, candy would be covered by my definition as well, but it isn't hazardous or addictive "enough".

Then your old Phys-Ed book is woefully inaccurate to the point of ineptitude. I gave a direct quote from the OED, but here's another definition from the medical dictionary. You'll notice the parity between the two definitions:
"1. a chemical substance that affects the processes of the mind or body.
2. any chemical compound used in the diagnosis, treatment, or prevention of disease or other abnormal condition.
3. a substance used recreationally for its effects on the central nervous system, such as a narcotic.
4. to administer a drug to."

And yes, sugar is most definitely a drug.

I find it absurd that a textbook would describe a scientific definition with "That brings a rush', or that it could be so incredibly wrong with insisting all drugs are "hazardous to your health" & "addictive". Penicillin is a very widely used drug, but fits none of your descriptions.

Would you be good enough to give me the title of the book from which you quoted your definition, please?

 

[verdant monkai]

Yeah its a drug no on can argue otherwise

 

[The .50 Caliber Cow]

Yes it is. But this one is legal and the term "drug" generally applies to illegal drugs. So it is a drug but it isn't a drug. Welcome to the English language.


[sub][sub]Moo! [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FavUpD_IjVY&feature=related][/sub][/sub]

CAPTCHA: mend fences

FUCK YOU TOM SAWYER I AIN'T BEING TRICKED TWICE

 

[Realitycrash]

A drug is defined as:

A physical substance:
A: that brings a rush.
B: that is hazardous to your health.
C: that is addictive.

So yes, Alcohol is a drug. A socially acceptable drug, because it's been around for ages.
If cigarettes were "invented" today, they would be banned as an illegal drug, make no mistake, and so would alcohol.

I have no idea where you got that, but it isn't an English definition. The OED defines the noun 'Drug' as:
'a medicine or other substance which has a physiological effect when ingested or otherwise introduced into the body'
and
'a substance taken for its narcotic or stimulant effects, often illegally'.

My old Phys-Ed book.
"a substance taken for its narcotic or stimulant effects, often illegally" would make candy a drug, though.
Actually, in a very broad definition, candy would be covered by my definition as well, but it isn't hazardous or addictive "enough".

Then your old Phys-Ed book is woefully inaccurate to the point of ineptitude. I gave a direct quote from the OED, but here's another definition from the medical dictionary. You'll notice the parity between the two definitions:
"1. a chemical substance that affects the processes of the mind or body.
2. any chemical compound used in the diagnosis, treatment, or prevention of disease or other abnormal condition.
3. a substance used recreationally for its effects on the central nervous system, such as a narcotic.
4. to administer a drug to."

And yes, sugar is most definitely a drug.

I find it absurd that a textbook would describe a scientific definition with "That brings a rush', or that it could be so incredibly wrong with insisting all drugs are "hazardous to your health" & "addictive". Penicillin is a very widely used drug, but fits none of your descriptions.

Would you be good enough to give me the title of the book from which you quoted your definition, please?

It's in Swedish, so it wouldn't do you much good. Also, "penicillin" doesn't count as a drug in Swedish (it's counted as a pharmaceutical, which isn't the same), so might be some language variation which is causing some problems here.

Abd like I said, by that definition, #1 and #3 would count food as a drug. It is a substance, it affects the central nerv ous system, and it can be used recreationally. It also affects both "mind and body".

 

[Chanel Tompkins]

Welcome to English, with all of it's wonderful subdivisions of things. And people wonder why, even though it's my native language, I still call it the dumbest language on the planet.

 

[Aitamen]

science/chemistry/legal view of drug vs. societal view, just like "Psychopath" or Tomatoes.

 

[irishda]

Yes, and in fact worse than a drug like Marijuana though I still woudn't want someone driving under the influence of that. Caffeine is also a drug and they let kids have as much as they want.

As a man who's lived with both an alcoholic and a pothead, I'd like to refute that, good sir.

 

[Angry_squirrel]

Yes, it is. It's also a lot more addictive and detrimental to your health than many illegal drugs

 

[catalyst8]

It's in Swedish, so it wouldn't do you much good. Also, "penicillin" doesn't count as a drug in Swedish (it's counted as a pharmaceutical, which isn't the same), so might be some language variation which is causing some problems here.

Abd like I said, by that definition, #1 and #3 would count food as a drug. It is a substance, it affects the central nerv ous system, and it can be used recreationally. It also affects both "mind and body".

Since this discussion's in English, obviously the English lexicon applies. Why would you attempt to cloud the issue by making incorrect statements?

Min svensk er icke stor, utom I'll kunde begripa sa definitionen.

So what's the name of the book from which you quoted that definition? Because as I said, it's so utterly wrong it's literally beyond belief that a textbook would say that.

CAPTCHA: hard and fast
You know it!

 

[CentralScrtnzr]

Alcohol is a drug; speaking as an alcoholic I will say, with confidence, that is among the most damaging of drugs. Recovering from alcohol addiction is only less difficult than from heroin or meth.

 

[Realitycrash]

It's in Swedish, so it wouldn't do you much good. Also, "penicillin" doesn't count as a drug in Swedish (it's counted as a pharmaceutical, which isn't the same), so might be some language variation which is causing some problems here.

Abd like I said, by that definition, #1 and #3 would count food as a drug. It is a substance, it affects the central nerv ous system, and it can be used recreationally. It also affects both "mind and body".

Since this discussion's in English, obviously the English lexicon applies. Why would you attempt to cloud the issue by making incorrect statements?

Min svensk er icke stor, utom I'll kunde begripa sa definitionen.

So what's the name of the book from which you quoted that definition? Because as I said, it's so utterly wrong it's literally beyond belief that a textbook would say that.

CAPTCHA: hard and fast
You know it!

I didn't make an incorrect statement, I made a correct one and figured it was covered for English as well, Obviously I was wrong, now wasn't I?

..Really, you want to know the name? Fine, it's "Hemkunskap för Högstadiet", which, now that I think of it, isn't Phys Ed exactly, more like "Practial and social-knowledge for the home" (Honestly, I don't know how to translate it, I do remember Batman Beyond taking it in one episode, though, and having an excellent translation for it".

Still, you keep doding the fact that the English definition covers things as food and candy, so it obviously isn't flawless either.
I think I prefer mine, it narrows down things to "Hey, look, this shit is actually dangerous, what we usually talk about when we talk about drugs" (for no, the average-conversation most likely won't be about fucking apsirin).

 

[z121231211]

Still, you keep doding the fact that the English definition covers things as food and candy, so it obviously isn't flawless either.
I think I prefer mine, it narrows down things to "Hey, look, this shit is actually dangerous, what we usually talk about when we talk about drugs" (for no, the average-conversation most likely won't be about fucking apsirin).

That's the scientific definition that includes everything. "Drug" means completely different things to different people, but most likely when someone mentions it they're refering to Illegal Drugs. Which includes illegal drugs and nothing else. Now if you want to refer to "dangerous" drugs, you really have to define your standards on what makes a drug "dangerous."

 

[Realitycrash]

Still, you keep doding the fact that the English definition covers things as food and candy, so it obviously isn't flawless either.
I think I prefer mine, it narrows down things to "Hey, look, this shit is actually dangerous, what we usually talk about when we talk about drugs" (for no, the average-conversation most likely won't be about fucking apsirin).

That's the scientific definition that includes everything. "Drug" means completely different things to different people, but most likely when someone mentions it they're refering to Illegal Drugs. Which includes illegal drugs and nothing else. Now if you want to refer to "dangerous" drugs, you really have to define your standards on what makes a drug "dangerous."

Which is exactly my point: The definitions provided by the lexicon is too broad to be of any real use.
That's why I prefer mine, "Inaccurate" as it is.

 

[z121231211]

Still, you keep doding the fact that the English definition covers things as food and candy, so it obviously isn't flawless either.
I think I prefer mine, it narrows down things to "Hey, look, this shit is actually dangerous, what we usually talk about when we talk about drugs" (for no, the average-conversation most likely won't be about fucking apsirin).

That's the scientific definition that includes everything. "Drug" means completely different things to different people, but most likely when someone mentions it they're refering to Illegal Drugs. Which includes illegal drugs and nothing else. Now if you want to refer to "dangerous" drugs, you really have to define your standards on what makes a drug "dangerous."

Which is exactly my point: The definitions provided by the lexicon is too broad to be of any real use.
That's why I prefer mine, "Inaccurate" as it is.

That's mostly because it's hard to be accurate when talking about drugs. As anything is hazardous after a certain amount and so many drugs are addictive that you can easily label anything as "bad" or not.

 

[Tiger King]

Dude, chocolate is a drug. Caffeine is a drug.

If I remember correctly, drugs are just things that change your mental or physical state. Chocolate is actually a poison, you have to eat 14KG to die from it but still.

When people say drugs they are talking about the "fun" kind, weed for example.

Well, you only have to drink 4.5 liters of water in an hour for it to be lethal, so hey, chocolate isn't as poisonous as water.

OT: Well, yes and no. If you start calling those drugs, then you'll never stop. I think what sets the illegal drugs apart is how prone they are to addiction. Cause yeah, like stated above, it's not just toxicity, everything is toxic in the right dose.

And yet they still make marijuana illegal, despite it being physically impossible to smoke enough to be even remotely lethal.

marijuana is still dangerous just as alcohol is, I've seen the effects of paranoid psychosis brought on by a heavy weed habit. it's very disturbing.
but again it's like alcohol if you abuse it, it will abuse you.
i also used to know an alcoholic, he sadly drank himself to death (was found by his son after coming home from school) the simularities of the alcoholic and the mentally ill cannabis smoker are almost mirror like in their circumstances.
They both shut themselves off socially
both sat watching the telly all day drinking or smoking
both were left to ruin themselves as both drugs aren't taken seriously
weed is "not leathel" and drinkers are laughed off as "he likes a drink" by friends not wanting to see the elephant in the living room