The scourge of drugs is not a recent phenomenon. Throughout human history drugs, and by drugs it is meant the use of any substance that alters perception or performance, have been a part of the daily lives of people all around the world. It is important to understand that drug use can be both licit and illicit and that the same drugs can be used for both purposes. For example prescribed drugs can be used by someone for pain or symptom alleviation but abused by someone for whom the drugs have not been prescribed but who wishes to utilize them to exploit a secondary effect. Drugs, whether legal or not, are a part of, and an influence on, human existence at the individual level, the community level and the societal level. There is no straightforward definition of the term drugs since its conceptualization implies having an holistic view of the phenomenon. In ancient Greek, the term Pharmakon, from which the words pharmacy, pharmaceuticals and pharmacopoeia originate, meant both medicine and poison. The World Health Organization (WHO) (1993) defined drugs as any substance that provides an alteration to the proper functioning of a living organism. Alcohol, tobacco, solvents and psychoactive substances are included within this definition. In defining abuse of these substances, WHO explained it as the persistent or sporadic excessive use inconsistent with or unrelated to acceptable medical practice.1 In 2006, a document published in Texas USA defined substance abuse as any use of a product that causes physical,mental or emotional damage on either a temporary or permanent basis.
However, one should be aware that this can be viewed as an overly simplistic overview of the phenomenon. Generally speaking, alcoholism and any other drug related behaviour could be based on, or exacerbated by, compulsive, obsessive and dependent behaviours that tend to be given priority over other human needs and relationships.