Because anesthesia and surgery affect the entire body, it is important for the anesthesia care provider to be able to anticipate the effects of all anesthetics in relation to the drugs and medications that the patient is taking and may have been used in the recent past. This includes all prescription or non-prescription drugs: over-the-counter, herbals, or “street drugs”. Even marijuana, alcohol and tobacco use affects the way anesthetic drugs work in the body.
