CHAPTER 29: Social Drugs

The use of psychoactive drugs is common in many cultures. Although much drug use is a social activity, apart from those under international control, many other substances are consumed, including alcohol, tobacco, caffeine and khat. Alcohol and tobacco lead to more harm to individuals and society than all of the controlled drugs combined. The sale and use of alcohol may be restricted to certain users (e.g., adults) in certain places (e.g., licensed premises) and while undergoing certain activities (e.g., driving) but there is a widespread assumption that it is not a drug. The damage caused by tobacco smoking is a long-term effect that is not immediately apparent to users. Although nicotine, the psychoactive principal in tobacco, has long been regarded as a poison, it is available in skin patches and smoking devices with little current restriction. Caffeine rarely causes serious problems to consumers. Khat is a controlled drug in the United Kingdom and a few other countries but is not under international control.