Drug detoxification (often shortened to “detox”) is a collective of interventions directed at controlling acute drug intoxication and drug withdrawal. It refers to a purging from the body of the substances to which a patient is addicted and acutely under the influence. The United States Department of Health and Human Services acknowledges three steps in a drug detoxification process: 1. Evaluation 2. Stabilization 3. Guiding patient into long-term treatment