Humans and drug addicts have used or consumed drugs for many years since the history of humanity, but as regards this, the scientific study of drugs is more recent. According to research that was conducted by researchers, it was discovered that pharmacology is the scientific study of drugs, which deals with all information about the consequences of chemical substances on the existence and system functioning of living beings.
The factor that could be considered important to the understanding of definitions takes us to the question of the meaning of drug use and what drug abuse is. A drug can without regard to specific details or exceptions be defined as any chemical substance or combination of entities not mandatory for the means of supporting of health save for the alteration of genetically functioning or arrangements when administered.
There are several definitions of drug use according to various researchers, in relation to this; Raymond Goldberg clearly showed the meaning of drug as any material excluding food of which by its chemical characteristics have an effect upon the arrangement and function of the living organism. Its meaning on the other hand often become out of line with the context in which it is used.
Raymond Goldberg on the other hand defined drug as any matter that a transforms an individual’s ability to perform psychologically, using physical force, rationally, from a financial point of view, and socially. He further defined drug misuse as the unwilled or unsuitable use of suggested ordered or authorized over-the-counter drugs. It is so easy and comfortable to talk about drugs; this has been illustrated by the several books and journals and magazines which have been published on the same.
However, giving a good definition of drug is not so easy. Although along the way some might have run into confusion, nevertheless, specialists have attained a workable meaning. According to World Health Organization (WHO) report published in 1981, drug can also be defined as ‘any chemical substance or mixture of entities, other than the ones needed for the sustenance of normal health (like food), the direction which changes the biological purpose and possibly structure.
Consequently, the above stated definitions explain the essential definitions of what drug use and drug abuse is. Abuse has been made reference to in many ways when people write about drugs, besides; there are many definitions as regards drug abuse. In such circumstances, one method through which a term can be defined is by a consensus of experts. In the study of drugs, professionals gave a definition of drug abuse as the use of drugs to give rise to; bodily, mental, legal, or societal harm to the one taking it or to others who may be affected by the drug user’s behavior’.