The Difference Between Drugs and Narcotics

UNGKIT.COM – The terms drugs and narcotics are often conflated, yet they share similarities while also possessing distinct differences.

The primary difference lies in the scope of the terms. Simply put, narcotics are a subset of drugs, whereas drugs serves as an umbrella term encompassing other hazardous substances.

Drugs is an acronym standing for narcotics, psychotropics, and other addictive drugs/substances. Narcotics, meanwhile, constitute a specific category within drugs—specifically, substances or drugs derived from plants or non-plant sources (synthetic or semi-synthetic).

The scope of substances classified as drugs is very broad, ranging from pain relievers (narcotics) and sedatives or stimulants (psychotropics) to addictive substances such as alcohol and nicotine.

In contrast, the scope of substances classified as narcotics is specific, as defined by Law Number 35 of 2009 concerning Narcotics.

The effects of drugs vary depending on the specific substance, ranging from addiction and behavioral changes to central nervous system disorders.

Meanwhile, narcotics specifically cause a reduction or alteration in consciousness, a loss of sensation, and the alleviation or elimination of pain.

Examples of drugs include marijuana, crystal meth, ecstasy, sedative pills, alcohol, glue, and tobacco. Examples of narcotics include opium, cocaine, marijuana, morphine, and codeine.

Certain substances, such as marijuana or morphine, can be classified as both narcotics and drugs. However, psychotropic substances—such as ecstasy or crystal meth—and other addictive substances like alcohol are classified only as drugs, not narcotics.

In the medical and health sectors, these substances are also frequently referred to by the acronym NAPZA (Narcotics, Psychotropics, and Addictive Substances). (*)

Dilarang keras mengambil konten (teks/tulisan, visual foto, gambar, ilustrasi, audio dan video) di website ini tanpa izin tertulis dari UNGKIT.COM. Siapa saja diperbolehkan menyalin link atau membagikan (share) konten UNGKIT.COM.