Health: Drugs & Alcohol Vocab
recovery
learning to live an alcohol-free or drug-free life
nicotine substitutes
manufactured forms of nicotine that deliver small amounts of the drug into the user's system while he or she is trying to give up the tobacco habit
carbon monoxide
a colorless, odorless, poisonous gas in cigarette smoke that passes through the lungs into the blood
FAS
a condition in which a fetus has been adversely affected mentally and physically by its mother's heavy alcohol use during pregnancy
tolerance
a condition in which the body becomes used to the effect of a medicine
stimulant
a drug that increases the action of the central nervous system, the heart, and other organs
depressant
a drug that tends to slow down the central nervous system
inhibition
a feeling that makes one self-conscious
psychological dependence
a person comes to believe that they need their drug in order to feel good or function normally
addiction
a physiological or psychological dependence on a substance or activity
euphoria
a temporary feeling of intense well-being or elation that may be followed by a complete "crash" or letdown
tar
a thick, sticky, dark fluid produced when tobacco burns
sobriety
abstinence from drugs or alcohol
carcinogens
cancer-causing substances
marijuana
cannabis that is smoked, eaten, or drunk for intoxicating effects
psychoactive drugs
chemicals that affect the central nervous system and interfere with the normal functioning of the brain
hallucinogens
drugs that alter moods, thoughts and sense perceptions, including vision, hearing, smell, and touch
gateway drugs
drugs that often lead to other serious and dangerous drug use
inhalants
substances with breathable fumes that are sniffed and inhaled to give a hallucinogenic or mind-altering high
designer drugs
synthetic substances meant to imitate the effects of narcotics and hallucinogens
nicotine
the addictive drug in cigarettes
BAC
the amount of alcohol in a person's blood expressed as a percentage
physiological dependence
the body eventually develops a chemical need for the drug
synergistic effect
the interaction of 2+ medicines that results in a greater effect than when the medicines are taken independently
withdrawal
the process that occurs when a person stops using a medicine or other substance to which he or she has a physiological dependence
detoxification
the removal of all drugs from the body
ethanol
the type of alcohol found in alcoholic beverages
illicit drug use
the use or sale of any substances that are illegal or otherwise not permitted
enabling
trying to protect the person having trouble with alcohol or drugs from facing the consequences of his or her drug-related problems
