Opium Abuse
Opioid analgesics (pain killers) are essential part of medical practice and have been part of medical practice and health care since 300 B.C. Opioid have disadvantage of overdose and dependency, that may arise from injudicious use. All opioids are capable of producing heroin like toxicity. In US alone there are more than one million opioid dependent individuals.
Morphine and codeine are the main opioid and are derived from milky juice of poppy fruit, papaver somniferous. Semi synthetic opioids includes, diacetylmorphine (heroin), oxycodone etc. Synthetic opioids include tramadol, pentazocine, pentanyl baprenorphine, propoxyphine ete.
Street heroin is 5 to 10% pure and mixed with sugar, powder milk, caffeine, quinine, or strychnine. If there is any increase in purity of street heroine it can lead to unintentional lethal overdose. Smoking or in haling of heroin vapors is call 'chasing the dragon'.
If there is no physical dependence opioid effects are rapidly reversible. There is danger of hepatitis B and C and HIV infection if contamination needles are uses.
Categories: Addiction Tags: Chasing the Dragon, definitive treatment, Poppy fruit
