Drugs:Fact and Fiction/Introduction

From Wikibooks, the open-content textbooks collection

[edit] Introduction

What is a drug? Why do people take drugs? Are drugs bad? This book will serve to answer questions, give facts, and dispel persistent rumors spread about psychoactive chemicals, often thrown in with all medications into the very broad term 'drugs'.

• A psychoactive drug is any substance that alters your perception or senses. Logically from this its easy to gather that a drug that gets you 'high' is not necessarily bad for you.

Why do drugs do what they do? What can they do? What can't they do?

Unfortunately, western culture has a strong taboo against these mind-exploring substances from an early age. Right from grade 1 through high school, kids are repeatedly taught about how drugs affect your body. Often times, the three generic examples are Marijuana (Cannabis), Heroin, and Cocaine.

Unfortunately, all that people learn about these substances is that they are bad. That’s it. This one sided argument often leads to fear. Fear often leads to ignorance. Ignorance leads to experimenting. Experimenting unfortunately leads downwards.

What should be taught instead is all the pros and cons of these substances. What’s in them, what they do, why they do that? This way when it comes down to making a decision, the user is well informed and can make a decision on their own behalf.

Before you begin to read this guide, please read the General Drug Safety page! This guide frequently points out the safety of drugs. However, if you are unprepared, then any number of circumstances may arise to prove the opposite of this.