Drug and Alcohol Vocabulary

Question	Answer
Club Drugs	Drugs like Molly, Ecstasy, GHB and Rohypnol (date rape drugs) that are commonly used at dance clubs, raves and parties
Depressant	Category of drug that slows down the central nervous system. Alcohol is a depressant.
Flashback	Experiencing the effects of a drug long after (years) the use. Usually involves seeing or hearing things that aren't actually there.
Hallucinogen	Drug that causes you to see hear or feel things that aren't actually there. Examples are LSD, mushrooms, peyote and PCP.
Hypoxia	A lack of oxygen to the brain.
Inhalant	Substances that give off fumes, breathed in to change your perception or mental function. Includes things like paint thinner, glue, and cleaning products.
Marijuana	Drug that comes from the leaves and flowering tops of a plant, influencing feelings, thoughts, memory, concentration, sense of time and movement.
Opiates	Drugs that come from a type of poppy (flower) often used as pain killers, like heroin, opium, morphine and codeine.
Perceived Norms	Things you think are normal, whether you are correct or not, that affect your attitudes and/or behavior.
Performance Drugs	Drugs used to temporarily enhance mental or athletic ability. Banned in competitive sports.
Protective Factors	Things that are likely to KEEP YOU from using drugs. They can be individual traits, things about your environment, or social factors.
Recreational Drug Use	The use of drugs NOT for a medical reason.
Risk Factor	Things that are likely to CAUSE you to use drugs. They can be individual traits, things about your environment, or social factors.
Stimulant	Drugs that speed up the central nervous system, increase energy and help people stay awake. Includes caffeine, meth, cocaine, and amphetamines.
Addiction	A chronic, relapsing brain disease, characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use, despite harmful consequences.
Chronic	Ongoing and long lasting.
Compulsive	An irresistible urge.
Denial	Refusal to admit the truth or reality.
Dopamine	A chemical in the brain that causes people to feel safe and happy.
Drug Abuse	Done to produce pleasure, alleviate stress, avoid reality or alter perceptions. Done deliberately and repeatedly to achieve these effects. Causes problems for the user.
Drug Misuse	Using too much, too often, or for a reason other than the drug was intended.
Neurotransmitter	General term for brain chemicals.
Relapse	To slip or fall back into a former worse state.
Tolerance	As the brain adjusts to the drug, it takes more and more of it to cause the same effects.
Withdrawal	The often painful physical and psychological symptoms that follows discontinuance of an addicting drug.
Dosage	How much of a drug you are supposed to take.
Food and Drug Administration (FDA)	Organization that determines which drugs need to be prescribed and which can be sold over the counter and what needs to be on the label.
Over-the-counter (OTC)	Drugs that have been decided to be safe enough to sell to the general public at regular stores.
Prescription	Drugs that need a medical professional to request for you and can only be purchased from a pharmacy.
Cerebral Palsy	A disability resulting from damage to the brain before, during, or shortly after birth and outwardly manifested by a lack of muscular coordination and speech disturbances. Occurs more often to children born to smoking mothers.
Smokeless Tobacco	Shredded and chewed or placed between cheek and gum; sometimes called chew or snuff.
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)	The death of an apparently healthy infant usually before one year of age that is of unknown cause and occurs especially during sleep; more common in households with cigarette smokers.
Tobacco	A plant that produces leaves which are smoked in cigarettes, pipes, etc.
Cessation	A stopping of some action.
Esophagus	The tube that leads from the mouth through the throat to the stomach
Nicotine	A poisonous substance (drug) in tobacco that makes it difficult for people to stop smoking cigarettes.
Amotivational Syndrome	A psychological condition associated with a lack of desire to participate in social situations and activities and with episodes of apathy (not caring).
Dependent	Relying on someone or something for support or to function appropriately.
THC (tetrahydrocannabinol)	The drug in cannabis that causes the user to feel a "high."
CBD (cannabidiol)	The drug in cannabis that has been found to have real medical applications.
Accredited	Official acceptance of something or someone as satisfactory.
Enabling	Giving misguided support to a person with some substance-abuse issue.
Recovery	The act or process of returning to a normal state after a period of difficulty
Binge Drinking	Having too much at one time; 5 or more for a man, and 4 or more for a woman.
Blackout	Drinking so much that you forget what you did while you were intoxicated.
Blood Alcohol Level (BAL)	The ratio of how much alcohol is in your system. Legal amount for adults is .08%.
Cirrhosis	A serious disease of the liver that can be caused by drinking too much alcohol.
Dementia	A decline in mental ability severe enough to interfere with daily life.
Distillation	The process of heating a liquid until it gives off a gas and then cooling the gas until it becomes liquid.
DUII (Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants)	Operating any vehicle after using a drug (legal or illegal) that impairs your ability to be safe.
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS)	Women who drink alcohol during pregnancy can give birth to babies with this disorder. It affects both the physical characteristics and behaviors.
Inhibitions	A restraint on the direct expression of an instinct; feeling like there are some things you shouldn't do.
Intoxicated	Being under the influence of alcohol.
Proof	How we measure the strength of alcohol: twice the % of alcohol by volume.
Tolerance	Your body's ability to become adjusted to something (such as a drug) so that its effects are experienced less strongly.

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Drug and Alcohol Vocabulary

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	Created by RaeAnn Thompson about 7 years ago