A myriad of reasons exists for the persistence of drug use as a social phenomenon. To demonstrate one source of much of the controversy in drug issues and federal drug policy, an examination of the definitions applied to the terms “drug,” “drug abuse,” and “drug dependence” is conducted. Emphasis is placed on the implications of this terminology on US government drug policy development. Based on this examination, the author finds that many of the definitions applied to the above terms are vague and the basis for many misconceptions. In many cases, legal considerations take precedence over therapeutic evaluations. Furthermore, the informational systems which utilize these findings suggest that further development of drug terminology and data acquisition systems, upon which federal drug policy must depend, is sorely needed.
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