Psychoactive Drugs and Abuse

Psychoactive drugs belong to a broader category of psychoactive substances that include also alcohol and nicotine. “Psychoactive” does not necessarily imply dependence-producing, and in common parlance, the term is often left unstated, as in “drug use”, “substance use” or “substance abuse”.

Stimulants, which activate the central nervous system:

• Hallucinogens
• Hypnotics
• Opioid analgesics