Chapter 9 Vocabulary - Forensic Toxicology Flashcards
Addiction
A physical process associated with drug use whereby a person craves a drug; failure to take the drug can result in withdrawal symptoms.
Controlled Substance
A drug or other chemical compound whose manufacture, distribution, possession, and use are regulated by the legal system.
Control Substances Act
A law that established penalties for possession, use, or distribution of illegal drugs and established five schedules for classifying drugs.
Dependency
A powerful craving for a drug; unlike addiction, dependency does not result in physical withdrawal symptoms upon discontinuation of the drug.
Depressant
A substance that decreases or inhibits the nervous system, reducing alertness.
Hallucinogen
A drug that changes a person’s perceptions and thinking during intoxication.
Illegal Drug
A drug that causes addiction, habituation, or a marked change in consciousness, has limited or no medical use, and is listed in Schedule I of the U.S. Controlled Substances Act.
Narcotic
An addictive, sleep-inducing drug, often derived from opium, that acts as a central nervous system depressant and suppresses pain.
Poison
A natural or manufactured substance that can cause severe illness or death if ingested, inhaled, or absorbed through the skin.
Stimulant
A substance affecting the nervous system by increasing alertness, attention, and energy, as well as elevating blood pressure, heart rate, and respiration.
Tolerance
A condition occurring with consistent use of one drug whereby a person needs more and more of the drug to produce the same effect.
Toxicity
The degree to which a substance is poisonous or can cause illness.
Toxicology
The study of drugs, poisons, toxins, and other substances that harm a person when used for medical, recreational, or criminal purposes.
Toxin
A substance naturally produced by a living thing that can cause illness or death in humans.
