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Illegal drugs

Illegal drugs are those that are not prescribed by a doctor or bought at a drugstore. They are sometimes also called "street drugs."

Some examples of illegal drugs include heroin (a narcotic); cocaine (a stimulant); LSD, mescaline, PCP, methamphetamine, and psilocybin (hallucinogens); marijuana and hashish (cannabis); and gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB). Although GHB is legal in Europe for anesthetic uses and in the United States for government-approved clinical trials for treating narcolepsy, it has been otherwise illegal in the United States since 1990.

The effects of illegal drugs can be unpredictable because:

  • Most drugs are very addictive.
  • People respond differently to the same drugs.
  • The strength or potency of the drug may be uncertain.
  • They may contain unknown or unexpected substances. There is no quality control for street drugs like that required for prescription drugs.
  • They may interact with other drugs or alcohol in unpredictable ways.
Author Jan Nissl, RN, BS
Editor Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA
Associate Editor Tracy Landauer
Primary Medical Reviewer Adam Husney, MD
- Family Medicine
Specialist Medical Reviewer William M. Green, MD
- Emergency Medicine
Last Updated February 23, 2007

WebMD Medical Reference from Healthwise

Last Updated: February 23, 2007
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