Here in the UK, 'drugs' has a specific meaning, ie illicit substances. Whilst obviously understanding the semantic cultural difference as an adult, from a young age I'd found it curious watching American film and TV how pharmacies were referred to as 'drugstores', and the streets are full of the neon-green cross sign advertising 'DRUGS'.
In our defense, most of the street drugs used to be legal here in the states til the FDA recognized they were addictive or psychoactive and made them illegal. You used to be able to buy Coca-Cola with actual coca (cocaine) in it. Bayer developed and sold heroin right along with aspirin. Weed was legal for a time too.
When we say drugs, it means any non-food substance you consume. So, it makes sense that you'd sell drugs in a drug store. Calling it an apothecary or a chemist just never caught on the same in the States... maybe they thought it was pretentious? Who knows?
Here in the UK, 'drugs' has a specific meaning, ie illicit substances. Whilst obviously understanding the semantic cultural difference as an adult, from a young age I'd found it curious watching American film and TV how pharmacies were referred to as 'drugstores', and the streets are full of the neon-green cross sign advertising 'DRUGS'.
In our defense, most of the street drugs used to be legal here in the states til the FDA recognized they were addictive or psychoactive and made them illegal. You used to be able to buy Coca-Cola with actual coca (cocaine) in it. Bayer developed and sold heroin right along with aspirin. Weed was legal for a time too.
When we say drugs, it means any non-food substance you consume. So, it makes sense that you'd sell drugs in a drug store. Calling it an apothecary or a chemist just never caught on the same in the States... maybe they thought it was pretentious? Who knows?