sin hábitos tóxicos

English translation: no substance use (abuse)

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)

Spanish term or phrase:	sin hábitos tóxicos
English translation:	no substance use (abuse)
Entered by:	Henry Hinds

01:39 Mar 9, 2004

Spanish to English translations [Non-PRO]
Medical (general)

Spanish term or phrase: sin hábitos tóxicos

From a medical study performed in Spain.

"Varón de 67 años sin hábitos tóxicos conocidos"

My inclination in the past has been to go with "no known drug habits," but it seems that in Spanish this includes tobacco (and maybe alcohol?) Literally, nothing that is toxic to the body. The trouble is that in U.S. English, at least to my ear, "drug habits" means marijuana, cocaine, heroin, etc. and while tobacco and alcohol are drugs, when I hear a person has "no drug habits" I do not necessarily think that that person is a nonsmoker. I want to convey the whole meaning here.

Paul Weideman KudoZ activity Questions: 107 (1 open) (1 without valid answers) (2 closed without grading) Answers: 95
Local time: 04:30

no substance use (abuse)

Explanation:
No usa nada de drogas, alcohol, tabaco, etc.

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Note added at 2004-03-09 01:46:32 (GMT)
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Se entiende que se trata de sustancias tóxicas o intoxicantes.

Selected response from:

Henry Hinds
United States
Local time: 05:30

Grading comment

Thanks, Henry, Susana and Gerard for your input. While "toxic habits" can be used, I believe substance abuse to be a clear, concise and more frequently-used phrase.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

4 +3

no toxic habits

Susana Galilea

5 +1

no substance use (abuse)

Henry Hinds

(a) non-smoker, non-drinker with no known history of substance abuse

Gerard Burns Jr.

Discussion entries: 3

Answers

4 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +1

no substance use (abuse)

Henry Hinds
United States
Local time: 05:30
Works in field
Native speaker of:

English,

Spanish
PRO pts in category: 561

Grading comment

Thanks, Henry, Susana and Gerard for your input. While "toxic habits" can be used, I believe substance abuse to be a clear, concise and more frequently-used phrase.

23 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +3

sin hábitos tóxicos no toxic habits

Explanation:
I believe you can use this in English as well:

"Toxic habits like boozing, smoking - even drugs like cannabis - can definitely affect your immune system," says GP Dr Conrad Smith, a member of the South African Nutrition Expert Panel.

http://www.suntimes.co.za/2003/06/15/lifestyle/life10.asp

Susana Galilea
United States
Local time: 06:30
Works in field
Native speaker of:

Spanish
PRO pts in category: 83

28 mins confidence:

(a) non-smoker, non-drinker with no known history of substance abuse

Explanation:
I'm sorry there is nothing as concise in English that I know of.

I'm afraid that quotes like this one:
"He is a smoker with no history of substance abuse." from the American Thoracic Society (URL below), indicate that "substance abuse" alone is not always thought to cover smoking. Although in my brief Googling I did not find medical hits that treat "drinking" the same way, I would suggest being explicit is better than being misunderstood.
Still, someone might have a better solution.

Reference: http://www.thoracic.org/assemblies/eoh/cases/may03.asp

Gerard Burns Jr.
United States
Local time: 06:30
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 15

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