Is alcohol a "Drug" ?

[WWJD]

Wondering about people's perception.

Main Entry: drug http://m-w.com/dictionary/drug

1 a substance used as a medication or in the preparation of medication according to the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (1): a substance recognized in an official pharmacopoeia or formulary (2): a substance intended for use in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease (3): a substance other than food intended to affect the structure or function of the body (4): a substance intended for use as a component of a medicine but not a device or a component, part, or accessory of a device2: a commodity that is not salable or for which there is no demand "â€￾used in the phrase drug on the market

3: something and often an illegal substance that causes addiction, habituation, or a marked change in consciousness

 

[Charlesbusa]

(3): a substance other than food intended to affect the structure or function of the body
(4): a substance intended for use as a component of a medicine but not a device or a component, part, or accessory of a device


So yes

 

[keaton]

Its addicting...

 

[ibified]

I'd have to say yes. I've seen alcohol destroy MANY lives, through not only alcoholism, but through drunk driving accidents. A friend of mine was hit and killed by a drunk driver when i was in high school and I'm still pissed over it.

I have no issue with the use of alcohol, mind you, and I drink plenty myself, but theres a time and a place for everything, and not everyone can handle it.

 

[Wag]

"Marked changed in consciousness."

Yup, it's a drug.

--Wag--

 

[Revvv]

Alcohol alters the mind. Drugs alter the mind. Both are toxins. Both drugs (legal) and alcohol can have a positive affect when used properly. When abused they can and do destroy lives.

 

[motogp08]

"All things in moderation."

It depends on how you interpret the use of the word "drug," its usually not associated with good. Negatively referred to normally.

I don't think alcohol is BAD, per-say, if drank in reasonable quantities.

Jesus drank wine, and he never sinned. (Otherwise we'd all be screwed BIGTIME!) So i don't think alcohol is a bad thing. I think if you enjoy it with family, spouse, or (other) in moderation, its okay.

Just my .02

 

[rubbersidedown]

It better be a drug.Or I've been wasting alot of money on nothing.

RSD.

 

[JusPlaynBob]

Here in Canada, it been reported that 85% of all violent crimes are related to alcohol.
Often in conjunction with a narcotic but still involving alcohol.

Just think of the Billions of dollars saved if Alcohol didn't exsist.

Now Marijuana.......well....

...lets just say, no one ever smoked a joint and went on a killing spree.

 

[Yorad]

It better be a drug.Or I've been wasting alot of money on nothing.

RSD.

^^^ That is hilarious!!

Alcohol is definitely a drug.  If you look at it from a chemical/biological standpoint (lipid-based, passes through cell walls, yada, yada) as well as the dictionary definition, it fits perfectly into both.

That being said, I believe both from a health and morality standpoint, it's something that is ok in moderation, but can also be a strong addiction and a destructive force to some people.  I'm not criticizing at all, as I've done a LOT of heavy drinking in my day!

People forget how many things are actually drugs.  Caffiene is a drug, all the pain medications (Tylenol, Advil, etc) are drugs.  

It's even worse with "chemicals".  You always hear certain people talking about all the "chemicals" in our food being bad for us.  That means absolutely nothing... Everything is a chemical!  Water is a chemical (2 hydrogen atoms bonded with one oxygen atom is it's chemical composition).  Any substance that has a defined molecular composition is a "chemical".  Chemical does not automatically mean a bad thing for your body, nor is a drug.

 

 

[Busa Jules]

Now Marijuana.......well....

...lets just say, no one ever smoked a joint and went on a killing spree.

But yes, alcohol is a drug... so are prescription medicines... especially when they are not YOUR prescription! Addictive, mind/ conscious altering.... DRUG

 

[Projekt]

"Drug" is a label that has many meanings and can be interpreted in a positive or negative way.
Personally, I don't see anything wrong with alcohol consumption done moderately in a social or solitary environment. Where it goes wrong is the obvious such as DUI/DWI related killings and alcohol excascerbated conditions such as cirrhosis of the liver. Addiction leads to this sort of damage and is an unfortunate side-effect of excessive consumption.
Domestically, the view of Alcohol comsumption is biased due to various religious groups' doctrines, thus leading to the period of prohibition. So much for history though. America's lifestyle dynamic creates many situations that are negatively affected by alcohol thus it is seen as a "Drug" like other controlled substances.
In Europe however, the attitude towards alcohol tends to breed a cultural acceptance of it since it is typically introduced to people at a much earlier age. You have wine at the dinner table every night in many European countries. There should not be a problem with this.
Too bad about the way it is seen in the US by youths since it is really outrageous to outlaw it until the age of 21 when everywhere else it is commonly consumed from mid-teenage.

 

[Professor]

If alcohol had been "discovered" in the last 10 years it would be an illegal/banned substance.

 

[Projekt]

If alcohol had been "discovered" in the last 10 years it would be an illegal/banned substance.

Nonsense!

 

[rubbersidedown]

Now Marijuana.......well....

...lets just say, no one ever smoked a joint and went on a killing spree.

But yes, alcohol is a drug... so are prescription medicines... especially when they are not YOUR prescription! Addictive, mind/ conscious altering.... DRUG

SO...I shouldn't be mixing all of these substances at once.

RSD.

 

[WWJD]

interesting read. seems like a drug to me too, but more of a CHOICE kind of drug. Like if you take a pain med for a headache, it's more used for a purpose, but no one sits around and says, "hey, lets all go sit somewhere and knock back a few Tylenols". unless alcohol is used to numb something emotional (stressful day, relationship problem, owning a ZX14) to which, my feeling is, fix the cause, because applying topical just delays the inevitable

 

[Yorad]

There's a fine line here.  If you use Tylenol or another drug to mask pain that is caused by something that needs to be looked at or fixed, then that is also a crutch.  If you use it to alleviate pain from something you can't do anything about then it's serving a useful purpose in moderation.

If you use alcohol to as a mental escape from things that you could change in your life rather than doing something, then it's a crutch.  If you come home on Friday after a stressful work week and just can't shed the stress and you're worrying about Monday already, a couple beers with some friends can be very therapuetic.  You can't actually DO anything about it until Monday, so why not catch a buzz, relax and get a good night's sleep?

 

[dadofthree]

Yes, it's a depressant.............

 

[DR1300R]

A legal drug no less..

 

[Projekt]

Yes, it's a depressant.............

No, but it is a depressant.

Think about it, alcohol happened when people crushed fruit for the juice and left it sitting too long. Animals too, consume alcohol; deer use it in the form of fermented apples in fall, they seek it out and catch a buzz to soothe all of their worries out in the forest.

If things were not deemed controlled substances or illicit drugs, the marketing of them could be managed better and violence would inevitably cease. Why does our country prohibit substances like it does, who made the rules and what motives led to them?

Narcotics such as morphine refined further into heroin, as well as products derived from coca where all legal and uncontrolled at the turn of the 20th century. Why did they get outlawed? Many prominent figures in history consumed substances that today are controlled and illicit.