- an illegal substance that some people smoke, inject, etc. for the physical and mental effects it has
- He does not smoke or take drugs.
- to use/abuse drugs
- (informal) I don't do drugs (= use them).
- to smuggle/supply/sell drugs
- He was charged with possessing drugs.
- illegal/illicit drugs
- on drugs She looked like she was on drugs (= had taken drugs).
- I found out he was on drugs (= took them regularly).
- a drug dealer/trafficker/smuggler
- drug use/abuse
- She was a drug addict.
- The actor struggled with drug addiction.
Culture drugsdrugsThe problem of drug abuse, the use of drugs for pleasure, is common in Britain and the US, especially among young people, but using drugs is illegal in both countries. Many teenagers try drugs before they leave school, and some of them use drugs regularly. There is also concern that younger children are being offered drugs. Drugs are much more widely available today than they were in the past and can be easily obtained on the streets, in schools, at nightclubs and elsewhere.Many different drugs are available, each known by a variety of slang names. They include amphetamines (uppers or speed), barbiturates (barbs or downers), cannabis or marijuana (dope, grass, pot or weed), cocaine (coke, crack, ice or snow), heroin (junk or smack), LSD (acid), and also benzodiazepines which are sometimes prescribed by doctors as tranquillizers. Other drugs include mescaline, methadone, morphine, amyl nitrate (poppers) and phencyclidine (angel dust or PCP). Some children experiment with solvent abuse (= breathing in the gas given off by strong glue or other chemical substances). The use of MDMA, better known as Ecstasy or E, has led to deaths that had a lot of attention in the news. More recently, new psychoactive substances, informally known as legal highs or designer drugs, have become available. These drugs contain a mixture of legal and illegal chemicals and herbs. They produce similar effects to drugs like cocaine and Ecstacy, and were sold in some shops as if they were substances for making a pleasant smell or for helping plants to grow. However, it is now illegal to produce or supply any of these substances. Many people are concerned about the problems associated with drug-taking. The main worry is that using drugs often leads to addiction , poor health, and even death. Reflecting public concern, the courts have taken a tough attitude towards drug dealers (= people who sell drugs on the street) and drug barons (= the people who supply drugs to the dealers). Addicts are not punished so hard but are encouraged to get medical treatment and attend rehabilitation centres.Drug-taking is blamed for a lot of crimes, as addicts sometimes steal in order to get money to buy drugs. Also, criminal organizations that sell drugs use violence to prevent others selling them. In the 1970s these problems caused the US government to begin the War on Drugs and it set up the Office of National Drug Control Policy in 1988. But not everyone supports the programme: many young people say that they can use drugs without becoming addicted. They also say that it is wrong for alcohol, also an addictive drug, to be legal, while the drugs they use are not. In 2009, President Obama announced that the administration would no longer use the term 'War on Drugs'. Instead, drug addiction should be seen as a disease that can be prevented and treated. In Britain, the government has also moved away from a strategy of frightening people, towards one involving education.There are often calls for soft drugs, the less harmful drugs such as cannabis, to be made legal, and in the US, there are now 29 states that have gone against US federal law and made the use of cannabis for medical purposes legal. Recreational use (= when it is taken for enjoyment) is legal in nine states and in Washington DC. This strategy is often resisted by those who believe that people taking soft drugs are likely to go on eventually to hard drugs, the more dangerous drugs such as heroin. People who agree with making soft drugs legal say that tougher laws do not work, and that many of the problems associated with drugs can be solved when it is legal to use them. For instance, the government can control the supply of drugs, and their quality and price. Criminal organizations are no longer involved, and that helps reduce violence. The government can put a tax on drugs, as is the case with tobacco and alcohol, and the money can be used to help pay for medical treatment for people who become addicted. But many people are worried by the increasing use of drugs and do not believe that making them legal is a solution.Extra ExamplesTopics Social issuesa2- I never smoke, drink or use drugs.
- The movie depicts sex, drinking and drug use.
- There was a huge growth in the export of illicit drugs.
- He is accused of supplying the drug that killed the teenager.
- It was obvious from his arm he had been injecting drugs.
- It was many years since he had used cocaine or any other hard drug.
- He was the only member of the band who never got into hard drugs.
- She became a heavy drug user.
- He was a petty thief and drug dealer.
- Drug traffickers are getting across the border.
- He was murdered by a drugs cartel.
- a criminal with connections to the drug trade
- This property was all bought with drug money.
- She was charged with drug offences.
- She died of a drug overdose.
- Alcohol and drug treatment programs have been cut.
- All athletes have to undergo regular drug testing.
- Some workplaces have introduced mandatory drug screening.
- The new federal drug czar claimed the nation was winning the war on drugs.
- a review of the drug sentencing laws to make penalties harsher
- the dangers of drink and drugs
- They committed the crime while high on drugs.
- the latest moves in the drug war
- They had a liberal attitude to recreational drugs.
- Drugs have been seized with a street value of two million dollars.
- an athlete who tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs
- She was found to be under the influence of drugs.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- illegal
- illicit
- addictive
- …
- inject
- baron
- kingpin
- lord
- …
- drink and drugs
- drugs and alcohol
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The Oxford Learner’s Thesaurus explains the difference between groups of similar words. Try it for free as part of the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary app
- a substance used as a medicine or used in a medicine
- to prescribe/administer a drug
- a prescription drug (= one that must be prescribed by a doctor)
- anti-inflammatory/antiviral/painkilling drugs
- a new cancer drug
- a major drug company
- He's taking drugs for depression.
WordfinderCollocations IllnessesIllnessesBecoming illsee also designer drug- catch a cold/an infectious disease/the flu/(British English) flu/pneumonia/a virus/(informal) a bug
- get (British English) ill/(North American English) sick/a disease/AIDS/breast cancer/a cold/the flu/(British English) flu/a migraine
- come down with a cold/the flu/(British English) flu
- contract a deadly disease/a serious illness/HIV/AIDS
- be infected with a virus/a parasite/HIV
- develop cancer/diabetes/a rash/an ulcer/symptoms of hepatitis
- have a heart attack/a stroke
- provoke/trigger/produce an allergic reaction
- block/burst/rupture a blood vessel
- damage/sever a nerve/an artery/a tendon
- feel (British English) ill/nauseous/queasy
- be running (British English) a temperature/(North American English) a fever
- have a head cold/diabetes/heart disease/lung cancer/a headache/(British English) a high temperature/(North American English) a fever
- suffer from asthma/malnutrition/frequent headaches/nausea/bouts of depression/post-traumatic stress disorder
- be laid up with/ (British English) be in bed with a cold/the flu/(British English) flu/a migraine
- nurse a cold/a headache/a hangover
- battle/fight cancer/depression/addiction/alcoholism
- examine a patient
- diagnose a condition/disease/disorder
- be diagnosed with cancer/diabetes/schizophrenia
- prescribe/be given/be on/take drugs/medicine/medication/pills/painkillers/antibiotics
- treat somebody for cancer/depression/shock
- have/undergo an examination/an operation/surgery/a kidney transplant/therapy/chemotherapy/treatment for cancer
- have/be given an injection/(British English) a flu jab/(North American English) a flu shot/a blood transfusion/a scan/an X-ray
- cure a disease/an ailment/cancer/a headache/a patient
- prevent the spread of disease/further outbreaks/damage to the lungs
- be vaccinated against the flu/(British English) flu/the measles/(British English) measles/polio/smallpox
- enhance/boost/confer/build immunity to a disease
Extra ExamplesTopics Healthcarea2- The doctors diagnosed epilepsy and prescribed drugs.
- His parents had to learn to administer his drugs.
- Patients need to inject the drug every two weeks.
- The drug has been approved to treat prostate cancer.
- Prescription drug prices rose.
- You used to be able to buy this medicine over the counter, but it is now a prescription drug.
- The doctor put me on a course of painkilling drugs.
- Some infections are now resistant to drugs.
- The nurses came around to give the patients their drugs.
- They're hailing it as the new wonder drug.
- We want to make it possible for companies all over the world to produce cheaper generic drugs.
- new drugs that have been developed recently
- drugs that help the growth of skin tissue
- a powerful drug against tuberculosis
- Some veterinary drugs are not approved for use in food-producing animals.
- The drug has some bad side effects.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- powerful
- strong
- effective
- …
- course
- dose
- be on
- take
- prescribe (somebody)
- …
- cure something
- help something
- treat something
- …
- company
- prices
- drug against
- drug for
Word OriginMiddle English: from Old French drogue, possibly from Middle Dutch droge vate, literally ‘dry vats’, referring to the contents (i.e. dry goods).
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