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Drugs
- Thread starter The Hammer
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vulcanlogician
Well-Known Member
Something that, when imbibed, has an effect on your biology, psychological state, or physiology.
Oh man. That even covers food. I like it.
vulcanlogician
Well-Known Member
If we ever create a food administration in our government (that regulates food products) and a drug administration (that regulates pharmaceuticals) we should probably just combine them into one administration.
But, seriously, I hadn't really considered that food would be categorized as a drug, by my definition, when I composed my prior post. Maybe we should ask, "what separates a food from a drug?" Interesting question. Is there a way to define drugs that excludes food?
In a broad sense, many things that are not considered drugs in the medical or legal sense can be considered drugs for their actions on the body. Since these things have a physiological effect on the body. It gets more interesting, when it is noted that for different organisms, the effects can vary from none to severe for the same materials that have an effect on us. Or no effect on us. The effects can vary within a population too. Some formulations of B-complex vitamins cause a side effect with me where I feel a somewhat uncomfortable sensation of warming that last a few minutes.
The effects of drugs are generally dosage dependent.
The caffeine in tea, coffee and maté or the tryptophan in turkey are technically drugs. They are also toxins depending on the dose and the effect.
Just as many things can be a drug, many can be a toxin too.
Edit: Actually, pretty much any substance can be a toxin, but it depends on the dose.
vulcanlogician
Well-Known Member
Yup. Even oxygen. Not normally a problem, even in a room full of 100% oxygen. But deep sea divers could actually die if they breathed 100% oxygen.
PS: I'm 99% sure this is true, but, this is something I heard years ago when learning to scuba dive, and it could be misinformation.
edit: confirmed by Google. Yes, oxygen is toxic at high pressure.
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Too much oxygen and you develop symptoms similar to alcohol intoxication. A room full of oxygen could be an issue for a lot of reasons as well as breathing 100% oxygen, even without diving. I like my oxygen cut with nitrogen.
I do realize that you can get 100% oxygen in a hospital, but it is controlled and usually less than 12 to 24 hours of administration. You can breath it for a limited duration, but prolonged exposure is unhealthy as strange as that sounds.
Orbit
I'm a planet
I teach a sociology class called "Drugs & Society" and that is where we start. Students are surprised to consider that legal substances are just as much "drugs" as illegal substances. We then move on to the distinction between drug *use* and drug *abuse*, also something that they hadn't thought about. After that, all the fun cultural and sociological stuff....
I was reading through that again. I don't know about the administration of 100% O2 to deep sea divers. If you find something, let me know. I'm curious. There are a lot of things divers have to be concerned about regarding pressure and the change. It can force gases out of solution in the blood, causing bubbles and other problems.
I understand that it isn't uncommon for some people not to realize that prescription medication is dangerous when abused, since it is prescribed by a doctor and that means it is safe.
When I worked in the state parks as a student, I experienced a similar phenomenon of park visitors that don't realize the wild animals in the park aren't tame and are dangerous if screwed with.
vulcanlogician
Well-Known Member
First Google response.
Bingo!!
Orbit
I'm a planet
Absolutely!
YmirGF
Bodhisattva in Recovery
A drug is usually some form of controlled substance that is not necessarily made for, but is nevertheless, often used for recreational purpouses and/or other non-medical uses. They can range from a somewhat natural state such a marijuana to others that are highly refined such as the deadly and wildly popular, Fentanyl.
When I have brought up the topic in a couple of threads I was talking specifically about things like Alcohol, pot, MMDA, Cocaine, Methamphetamines, even odd drugs like Ketamine and god only knows what else nowadays.
YmirGF
Bodhisattva in Recovery
I'd love to see that course.
Actually, I misunderstood that. Even after reading it a second time. Yes. You breathe 100% O2 and dive. It is very dangerous. The pressure and the oxygen content increase the onset of all sorts of rapid onset and very dangerous toxic responses.
For some crazy reason only my brain knows, I read that as if you were talking about giving them the oxygen after a dive. I'm not sure how I read that into what you wrote.
vulcanlogician
Well-Known Member
The word "drug"'s meaning depends utterly on context. It could be what you wrote.
It could be something refined and sold either OTC or by prescription. For the latter, my doctor told me I needed calcium and vitamin D but could get the OTC drug calcium by continuing to eat dairly products such as yogurt. For vitamin D, I probably needed more than diet and sunlight provides so I should get it by OTC pill form.