designer drug; quasi-legal drug
Formerly used by Japanese government bodies (e.g., Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare) for substances that evaded drug laws by slight chemical modifications. Now largely replaced by terms like 危険ドラッグ or 脱法ドラッグ.
Crackdowns on designer drugs were strengthened.
Many substances once called 違法ドラッグ are now classified as 危険ドラッグ.
Compound of 違法 (illegal) and ドラッグ (drug), a wasei-eigo term coined by Japanese authorities.