There are many legal drugs that can lead to addiction. The most common of course are Alcohol and Nicotine. Just because a substance is legal does not mean it is safe to use and can become an object of abuse. There are medications that are sold over the counter that can be addictive or can lead to the use of illegal drugs. Any person that is in recovery must be cautious when using any prescription medication weather prescribed or over the counter. These medications or legal drugs can lead back to a drug of choice and full blown addiction.

Legal drugs of addiction can refer to drugs that are sold over the counter in other countries but are illegal in the United States. People on cruses that stop at various ports of call can walk into any pharmacy and purchase an over the counter medication and return the States with a substance that is illegal in our country. Different countries have different restrictions and testing protocol to determine the safety of a product. The responsibility falls, as it should, on the individual. “Let the buyer beware”.

Legal drugs of addiction such as alcohol and nicotine are often the most abused because of their availability and lack of any legal consequences. Prescribed medication, touted as safe, can be highly addictive even when use as instructed. There are muscle relaxers, cold or cough preparations, Sedatives and Tranquilizers that may trigger an addiction in any unsuspecting patient at any doctor’s office. Taking a pain reliever can lead to a stay in a drug rehab center and leave the user completely bewildered. Drug manufacturers have no motivation to police themselves. Either the federal government or the patient/customer must become more aware of the effects of any substance they decide to consume.