TOPIC: “NARCOTICS” Part 2

REPORT BY: Aaron James T. Quilang; Group 5 with Mark Angelo Dela Pena

There are thousands of varieties of drugs, both legal and illegal, and is available for use. All
drugs affect a user’s body in some way, but their exact effects depend in large part on their
particular chemical components. Most drugs are classified according to specific categories,
such as hallucinogens, stimulants and depressants.

Narcotics are a type of drug that have the potential to be addictive. Because of their addictive
potential, this type of drug should only be used according to a doctor’s specific prescription.
Any other type of use is considered abuse and can lead to addiction and other possibly life-
threatening conditions.

Facts About Illegal Drug Use in America

Illegal drug use, abuse and addiction are serious problems in the United States.
SAMHSA’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health from 2012 found that 23.9 million
Americans aged 12 and older, or 9.2 percent of that population, had used illegal drugs in the
month before the survey.

Definition and Examples of Narcotics

Narcotics, also known as opiates or painkillers, are commonly abused in the United
States. The National Institutes of Health explain that narcotics work in the body by binding
themselves to pain receptors in the nervous system so that the pain signals are blocked. As a
result, this type of drug is sometimes prescribed to temporarily treat severe pain that doesn’t
respond to other forms of pain relievers.

There are both legal and illegal narcotics. The following types are considered legal as long as
they are prescribed by a doctor and taken exactly according to the prescription’s
recommendations:

 Codeine
 Fentanyl
 Hydrocodone

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  Hydromorphone
 Meperidine
 Methadone
 Morphine
 Tramadol

The most common illegal narcotics are:

 Heroin
 Opium
 Any of the medications listed above taken outside the recommendations of a doctor’s
prescription

The side effects of narcotics often include:

 Decreased sense of pain

 Dizziness
 Euphoria
 Physical dependence
 Decreased respiration
 Sedation
 Stomach upset, including nausea, vomiting and constipation
 Tolerance

When a person uses a narcotic over a period of time, she greatly increases her risk of
developing an addiction. This is especially true if she is using the drug outside of a doctor’s
recommendation. Narcotics can be addictive because they temporarily make the person feel
good, and the person begins to crave the feelings that the drug provides. Moreover,
sometimes the person’s body starts to need the drug in order to function normally. When this
happens, she has developed a physical dependence to the narcotic substance.

Complications Related to Narcotic Abuse

Narcotics can be dangerous not only because of their potential for abuse and addiction, but
also because they can sometimes lead to overdose and death. The Centers for Disease

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Control report that in 2011, drug overdose was the leading cause of injury death. Out of the
41,340 drug overdose deaths in America, 16,917, or 74% of deaths related to prescription
medication overdose, involved narcotics. Additionally, over 400,000 emergency room visits
were prompted by the nonmedical use of prescription narcotics.

How to Get More Information About Narcotics and Their Addictiveness

When used according to a doctor’s specific instructions, narcotics can be extremely beneficial
for people suffering from severe pain. If abused in any way, though, these drugs can become
dangerous and potentially addictive. Abusing narcotics can also significantly increase a
person’s risk of overdose and death. If you or a loved one is struggling with narcotic abuse or
addiction and unsure of where to turn, give our toll-free helpline a call. Our admissions
coordinators are available 24 hours a day to answer your questions about narcotics and
addiction. They can also discuss different addiction treatment options with you. Call us right
now to find out more.

Narcotics are drugs that are naturally derived from opium or produce effects like opium that
are highly addictive. Examples include morphine, codeine, heroin, oxycodone, methadone,
and cocaine.

Narcotics in the form of opium were first used and abused in China. Smoking and abusing it
was a common practice that was seen as completely normal. This went on for hundreds of
years until addiction was seen negatively. This did not slow down even after this was
discovered.

Egyptian hieroglyphs show that opium poppy was used by Romans and Egyptians for pain
relief. The upper class in the age of Hippocrates smoked opium as mood altering substances.
The leaf of the poppy was chewed beginning in the 1700’s for relaxation. Beginning in 1806,
morphine began to be extracted from the poppy flower. It was used for surgeries and giving
birth as analgesia.

In 1853, opiates were more widely abused due to the invention of the hypodermic needle. In
the 20th century, morphine was used extensively for medical pain relief. It was used more for
medical purposes as time went on. Synthetic forms of morphine began to be made for
medicinal purposes by the middle 1900’s. Drugs with more tolerable side effects and better

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pain management continued to be developed. Now, narcotics are especially associated with
crime and severe addiction.

Narcotics can be taken orally as pills, inhaled by smoking, injected by a hypodermic needle,
the leaves of the poppy plant can be chewed, and cocaine is snorted. The effects are
immediate attaching to the painkilling sites controlling the release of endorphins. The opiate
receptors are in the brain, spinal chord, and intestines.

Narcotics are also called ◦ Brown sugar ◦ Chasing the dragon ◦ China White ◦ Crank ◦ Dope ◦
Horse ◦ Junk

Prolonged use produces ◦ Physical effects, Tolerance , Dependence , Increased risk of blood
borne diseases , Renal failure , Risk of overdose , Organ damage ◦ Mental effects , Anxiety ,
Psychological dependence ◦ Social effects , Broken relationships , Antisocial behavior ◦
Legal Consequences , Jail time for possession , Arrest on permanent record with future
consequences

Some narcotics are used to relieve extreme pain that is not controlled by milder substances.
They can not be used for longer than four months due to their highly addictive nature. They
are often taken when needed. Morphine is given near death to ease pain and discomfort.
Narcotics such as heroin are not used for any medicinal purpose at the present.

Mixing alcohol with pain pills or heroin can stop breathing, increase risk of overdose, and
cause coma and death. Mixing alcohol with cocaine raises the heart rate extremely high and
can cause a heart attack.

Narcotics are extremely addictive, so they can tear apart families and society. Crime is
especially associated with narcotics and results in many people incarcerated per year. Loss of
productivity affects society. Narcotics are very dangerous to society and the health of society
and individuals.