How does DAWN define and classify drugs?

The Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) defines a drug as any substance and/or combination that falls under the following categories: alcohol, illicit drugs, prescription medications, over-the-counter medications (OTCs), dietary supplements, non-pharmaceutical inhalants, and substances that are vaped. DAWN classifies drugs using DAWN’s Drug Reference Vocabulary (DRV). 

The DAWN DRV is a comprehensive drug vocabulary and classification system for all the substances collected by DAWN. The DAWN DRV is derived from the Multum Lexicon©, 2020 Cerner Multum, Inc. The classification was modified to meet DAWN’s unique requirements.