After reading this chapter, you should be able to:

• Describe the main groups of poisons.
• Outline the legal classification of drugs of abuse within the UK system, including examples.
• Discuss the main types of commonly abused drugs, with particular reference to their chemical nature, physical forms and effects.
• Explain the different factors that influence the toxicity of a substance.
• Appreciate the different routes of uptake of toxic compounds into the human body and the means by which they are subsequently eliminated.
• Review the information sought during the analysis of samples for drugs and other poisons and recognise the means by which such analyses may be carried out.