覚醒剤

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: Written 覚醒剤 and read かくせいざい, it denotes a strongly regulated stimulant drug acting on the central nervous system.
• Basic usage: It appears mainly in criminal investigations and drug-abuse prevention.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Legally narrower than stimulant
  • The Japanese term often points to controlled drugs, not every stimulating substance such as caffeine.