Is Alcohol A Controlled Substance

Is Alcohol Considered a Controlled Substance?

Under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), alcohol isn’t considered, in the United States, a controlled substance. There are still regulations of using alcohol and to be responsible when consuming it. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism has reported that about 140,000 people in the United States have alcohol-related deaths. It’s still important to take alcohol addiction and consumption seriously as it can have serious effects to your physical health and mental health. 

What is the Classification of Alcohol?

Alcohol is classified as a nervous system depressant. It’s one of the most common used and abused drug in the United States. It is not classified under the Controlled Substances Act but is regulated under different laws. The effects of consuming alcohol are relaxation, loss of judgment, loss of coordination, loss of inhibition, decreased heart rate, etc. 

Is Alcohol a Form of Substance Abuse?

Alcohol is a form of substance abuse. When you use it for a long amount of time and in excessive amounts it can lead to an alcohol use disorder. This is characterized by not being able to stop using alcohol even though it’s affecting the person’s life negatively in a social, occupational and health way. Alcohol addiction needs to be treated right away once diagnosed and recognized of all the symptoms pointing to the disorder. 

What are the Effects of Alcohol and Controlled Substances?

When looking at the effects of alcohol and controlled substances, they have similar symptoms but also a few key differences depending on what controlled substances you consume. It can affect your physical and mental health. The impact depends on the substance, amount, how frequently it’s been used, and the health of the person in general. 

What is Scheduling?

Scheduling is a way of organizing data. Through scheduling, data is arranged and controlled into easily accessible quotas. The government provides rules and regulations for the various categories of drugs to which an individual may be exposed.

What are the 5 Types of Controlled Substances?

Five Schedules of Controlled Substances: Controlled substances are categorized into five schedules based on their potential for abuse and medicinal value:

1. Schedule I: Drugs with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse (e.g., heroin, LSD).
2. Schedule II: Drugs with a high potential for abuse, with use potentially leading to severe psychological or physical dependence (e.g., Vicodin, cocaine, methamphetamine).
3. Schedule III: Drugs with a moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence (e.g., anabolic steroids, testosterone).
4. Schedule IV: Drugs with a low potential for abuse and low risk of dependence (e.g., Xanax, Valium).
5. Schedule V: Drugs with lower potential for abuse than Schedule IV (e.g., cough preparations with less than 200 milligrams of codeine per 100 milliliters).

The Drug Enforcement Agency determines the likelihood of abuse of a given drug or substance. The law is also used to determine the punishment for those found guilty of possession or use of illegal substances.

Understanding the Controlled Substances Act for Alcohol 

When looking at the Controlled Substances Act has guidelines for how drugs can be produced, sold, and used in the United States of America. The Controlled Substances Act provides rules for These rules govern both legal and illegal substances. Under the CSA, both the DEA and the Food and Drug Administration are empowered to engage in the classification of substances under the law. Generally, CSA regulations place restrictions on drugs with regards to their:

• Manufacture
• Possession
• Importation
• Use
• Distribution

Drug Classes

The CSA is divided into five different schedules that regulate the various categories of drugs, based on DEA categorizations. However, CSA classifications differ from the typically known “classes” of drugs. The usual five classes of drugs are:

• Depressants
• Stimulants
• Anabolic Steroids
• Hallucinogens

Conversely, drugs are placed into schedules based on their medical use, safety for consumption, and potential abuse by individuals across the board. Thus, a depressant and a hallucinogen may fall under the same category or schedule in the categorization done by the Act whereas, in the usual classes, a depressant and hallucinogen would fall under different classes.

Drug Schedules Under the Controlled Substances Act

Generally, Section 201(c), provides the factors which help determine what category a controlled substance will fall into. These are:

• Potential or actual abuse to happen
• Evidence of pharmaceutical effects 
• The state of current scientific knowledge regarding the substance
• Its history and current pattern of abuse
• The scope, duration, and significance of abuse
• What, if any, risk there is to the public health
• Its psychic or physiological dependence liability
• Whether the substance is an immediate precursor of a substance already controlled under this subchapter

The schedules are divided as follows:

1. Schedule I Controlled Substances

This schedule deals with substances that have a very high risk of abuse. Under this category, the drugs and substances aren’t classified as a substance you can use in a medicinal way and it’s not even allowed to be used in a medical setting with medical supervision. These types of substances under this schedule include marijuana, heroin, ecstasy, hallucinogens, lysergic acid, and methaqualone, among others.

2. Schedule II Controlled Substances

Controlled substances under the schedule II guidelines are substances and drugs with very high potential to turn into abuse and misuse when people consume them. There are some value to them medicinally. However, they can only be used under a more restricted circumstance and in a controlled environment like the hospital or a doctor’s office. Methamphetamine, Morphine, Cocaine, Adderall, Ritalin, and Dexedrine, among others, fall in this category.

3. Schedule III Controlled Substances

When looking at the schedule III substances, these are on the lower level of risk of potential abuse and have a higher benefit of using them for medical use. Even though they are at a very low risk of addiction, it is still possible and people consuming them should still be careful and to only take the necessary dosage prescribed to them. People who aren’t prescribed these controlled substances should not ever take them as it can be very dangerous. This schedule is home to substances like Codeine, anabolic steroids, Buprenorphine, and Ketamine.

4. Schedule IV Controlled Substances

Under Schedule IV for controlled substances, the substances are considered mostly accepted for general medical treatment use. These have a less likelihood of causing someone to abuse it and is one of the lowest risks for the controlled substances categories. It’s very rare but it’s still possible to have abuse of these type of drugs. Drugs that fall into this category include Darvon, Valium, Xanax, Lunesta, Tramadol, and Ativan, among others.

5. Schedule V Controlled Substances

Schedule V controlled substances are at the lowest for having people abuse them. Because of the rarity of someone abusing them, they are widely used for medical purpose all throughout the United States. Usually you can only get these controlled substances in this category if it’s prescribed to you and it controls the different health issues you need treatment for. 

Understanding the Legal Implications of Controlled Substance Possession

When looking at the legal complications with possession of controlled substances, it varies on the state you live as it has to do with your specific state’s law. When looking at the laws for drug possession, the general rule of thumb is to identify if the possession was for personal use or it had the intent to distribute. If it’s personal possession, they will conduct a pre test for identification. Depending on the weight of the drug, the person charged with drug possession will be charged a felony crime. As for possession with intent to distribute, there must be evidence to prove it, such as digital scales and large amounts of drugs and cash in small bills.

The Role of Prescription Medications as Controlled Substances

Prescription medications are under the category of controlled substances. Under this category includes specific types of pain relievers, ADHD medications, and anti-anxiety drugs. There are still regulations on distributing and the use of them so people are less likely to abuse and sell them to others not prescribed the medications. These type of medications should only be used if specifically prescribed to you and have your name on it as the patient, no one else. 

Is Alcohol a Controlled Substance?

Alcohol isn’t a controlled substance due to anyone being able to use the substance. However, specific states have laws specifically for their state on how it can be imported, distributed and sold and also who can possess it. There are, however, specific consumption guidelines for needing to avoid alcohol, which are  if you under the minimum drinking age of 21 in the United States, pregnant, taking medication that doesn’t interact well with alcohol, or are recovering from an alcohol use disorder. 

Although alcohol is similar in many ways to the substances regulated by the Controlled Substances Act, alcohol isn’t regulated by the Act.  Alcohol doesn’t meet the criteria for controlled substances. However, alcohol is regulated by federal law, which correlates to the 21^st Amendment, which repealed the national prohibition.

Under the 21^st Amendment, individual states are given freedom over alcohol policy, including decisions, which are:

• Whether or not to allow the production and sale of alcohol in a state
• Whether to permit the importation of alcohol into the state
• The distribution of alcohol in the state and other related matters

Treatment at Resurgence Behavioral Health 

The addiction specialists at Resurgence are available for more in-depth discussions of substances regulated in the Controlled Substances Act. With the level of increase in mental health-related issues, there is scarcely a better time to gain knowledge of these substances, their harmful potentials, and the safe means of their use.

At Resurgence, we are dedicated to filling the existing knowledge gap on substances and their use and abuse. This will help you make more informed decisions, thereby positively impacting on societal health in the long run.