New York legal term
Drug in New York Criminal Law
Current through 2026 New York legislative session
In New York criminal law, “Drug” is a term defined by statute rather than by its everyday meaning. Its statutory definition — quoted verbatim below — controls how the term is applied throughout the New York criminal code.
What does “Drug” mean in New York criminal law?
"Drug" means (a) substances recognized as drugs in the official United States Pharmacopoeia, official Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia of the United States, or official National Formulary, or any supplement to any of them; (b) substances intended for use in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease in man or animals; and (c) substances (other than food) intended to affect the structure or a function of the body of man or animal. (N.Y. Public Health Law § 3302)
Statutes defining or using this term
Related terms in the same statutes
This reference is informational and is not legal advice.