> Recreational drugs affect the brain in a very different manner when compared to medication Chemicals are chemicals, and have exactly the same effect (at equi

> Recreational drugs affect the brain in a very different manner when compared to medication Chemicals are chemicals, and have exactly the same effect (at equivalent dosages, etc.) whether they are produced by a large pharmaceutical company, or a bunch of guys in rural Afghanistan. The heroin one buys on the street is exactly the same chemical with exactly the same effect as the heroin that might be given to you in a hospital. Generally, street adulterants are simply there to dilute the product, and have no real pharmacological effect. It's also perfectly possible to abuse medication directly - oxycodone or morphine pills, for example, and they do not suddenly behave differently because they were not prescribed by a doctor.