The drugs that fascinate man the most – those that inspire us to poetry or drive us to murder – are those that affect the brain and the spinal cord on which it rests. Some of the first drugs consumed are believed to have been used in connection with religion and superstition. Some of these drugs include alcohol, caffeine, nicotine, ether, procaine, LSD, marijuana, cocaine, and heroin. The list of drugs known to man is almost endless, and new drugs are constantly being invented or discovered in the things we see around us every day. In the coming decades, there could be five times more drugs than today. From a medical point of view, medicines were only to be used in the medical field. Medications are medications designed to speed up, slow down, or change the way your body works. Some of the first drugs introduced to humans were used as pain relievers. These drugs were first used as anesthetics during surgical procedures to relieve dull pain. However, doctors still couldn't safely completely eliminate the pain. As the invention and discovery of drugs increased, so did the ways in which they could be used and abused. All drugs used by man have effects on the brain, whether they are used for better or worse. Medications block messages sent to the brain, which can significantly slow down reaction times and body functions. They also block all sensations, both the most desirable and the most unwanted. All medicines are essentially poisons. The amount of medicine taken determines the effect. A small amount acts as a stimulant, a larger amount acts as a sedative, and a larger amount is highly toxic and can kill. Drugs blur memory, causing blank spaces in the mind. They may make you feel slow or stupid and cause...... middle of paper...... rules and laws set by their government and parents, but you can hope that through education of as many people as possible. possible, we can help prevent this problem from getting worse in the future. Works Cited DEXTROMETHORPHAN DXM. October 24, 2013. HelpGuide.org. Drug abuse and addiction. October 26, 2013. Hyde, Margaret. An Overview for Teens: Smoking 101. Minneapolis, Minnesota: Twenty-First Century Books, 2006. Modell, Walter and Lansing, Alfred. Drugs. Canada: Life Books, 1967. Dad, Susan. Dependence. Woodbridge, CT: Blackbirch Press, Inc, 2001. Russell, George. Marijuana today. New York, New York: The Myrin Institute, Inc, 1983. “The Truth About Drugs.” n/a The Truth About Drugs, Substance Abuse, and Addiction: Foundation for a Drug-Free Will. October 25, 2013. Wikipedia. “Illegal drugs”. and simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illegal_drugs. October 28 2013.