The word "drugs" carries certain negative connotations and engenders in people with a certain distasteful feeling. What is it that makes society cringe at the sound of this word when it applies to so many varying substances? This paper will explore the nature of drugs, the scope of the drug industry and the extent to which drugs are incorporated into our everyday lives.
             A common definition for drugs is: "any substance, natural or synthetic, which when taken into the body, is intended to bring a change in medical, behavioral or perceptual states for either therapeutic or non-medical purposes". In most cases when referring to drugs it is pertaining to their medical use.
             A specific drug used in medicine is nitrous oxide. This drug is used as an anesthetic and its effects are relaxation of the muscles, loss of sensation such as pain and loss of consciousness. This is a drug that you would encounter normally only for medical use, but what other type of drugs are there? In our daily habits we encounter a drug called caffeine. This drug is present in coffee, tea and other substances such as chocolate. The effects of caffeine are increased heart rate, anxiety and also diarrhea. Slight physical addiction has been linked to the use of caffeine. Although the use of this drug in today's' society is quite common, people either ignore, or are not aware of its side effects.
             Possibly the most commonly used drug in today's society is nicotine. Nicotine acts as a stimulant and a depressant in the nervous system. Addiction to this drug is very high. Side effects of nicotine are fatigue and depression. Nicotine is responsible for several types of cancers. This highly addictive drug is found in cigars, chewing tobacco and most commonly in cigarettes. Many people of all age groups and sexes use nicotine recreationally.
             Another highly used recreational drug is alcohol. This dr
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