Thus, the term drug is used to refer to those substances that cause an alteration of the state of

mind and are capable of producing addiction. This term includes not only substances that are
popularly considered drugs due to their illegal status, but also various psychoactive drugs and
substances for legal consumption such as tobacco, alcohol or beverages that contain caffeine or
theophylline derivatives, such as coffee. or the tea; in addition to substances for domestic or work
use such as glues, glues and volatile solvents

ETYMOLOGY AND HISTORICAL CONTEXT

According to the Royal Spanish Academy, drug comes from the Andalusian Arabic ?a?rúka
(literally, 'charlatanism'). In the 14th century, the term droog (dry) began to be used in the
Netherlands to refer to plants and spices used for medicinal purposes. Later, the English used drug
and the French drogue to refer to medicines. In the Netherlands, the term continued to be used
specifically to refer to the products of medicinal plants. In English, the term drug is used
generically to refer to active principles and drugs. In Spanish, the term is used in common
language restrictively to refer to substances with the potential for abuse.

There is evidence that the human being was aware of and used certain plants with psychoactive
properties even before the formation of the first civilizations, such as opium extracted from the
poppy. In all civilizations, from Assyria to the present, human beings have consumed all kinds of
drugs for different reasons, religious, ritual, medicinal, habits or customs,

Due to the legal criminalization of the production, sale and use of certain drugs, the illegal drug
market is controlled by organized crime. A 2003 United Nations report estimated that the world
drug trade generated wealth estimated at US$321.6 billion. The nations of the world invest billions
of dollars a year to try to curb this illegal market — it is estimated that the United States alone
invests $51 billion annually, although according to some reports, after decades of "war" these
policies have failed in their efforts. Attempts.

The most consumed drugs in the world are alcohol, nicotine and caffeine, legal in the vast majority
of countries, as well as other generally illegal substances such as derivatives of opiates and
amphetamines.

Many drugs are illegal, their use being prohibited even for clinical trials or other medical
applications; There are international treaties, such as the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs,
that prohibit certain substances globally. Since its outlawing in the mid-twentieth century, many
countries, notably the United States, began the so-called "war on drugs" aimed at combating drug
trafficking and crime.

ASSOCIATED CONCEPTS

Dependence. Abstinence. Craving. Tolerance:

Habit, addiction, drug dependence, drug addiction... are colloquial terms used for what the DSM-
IV manual defines as substance dependence: a set of cognitive, behavioral and physiological
symptoms that indicate that an individual continues to consume a substance despite the
appearance of problems significant related to it.
In summary, the individual has lost control over the substance and its consumption becomes the
highest priority in his life, abandoning other aspects.