Transcript Narcotics - Antonian College Preparatory High School

Depressants
Depressants
• Induce sleep, relieve acute pain, and are
used to treat coughs, diarrhea, and various
other illness.
Opium
• Known as the mother
drug
• Base compound for all
of the natural narcotics
• Derived from the
poppy plant.
• Used by Egyptian
physicians nearly
6,500 years ago to kill
pain.
• Relieve anxiety, create
euphoria, and provide
an escape from reality,
from that people
began to use opium
recreationally.
• A person will develop
a strong tolerance and
physical dependence.
Opium
• The first law banning opium use was passed
in 1875 in San Francisco.
Morphine
• Used as a painkiller, acts primarily on the
central nervous system, eyes and digestive
tract. By producing mental clouding,
drowsiness and euphoria, it does not
decrease the physical sensation of pain as
much as it alters a person’s awareness of the
pain; the person no longer cares about it.
Morphine
• Around 1800
morphine was
extracted from opium
and became known as
a wonder drug because
it brought quick relief
from pain.
• 10 times stronger than
opium, exerts rapid
depressing effects on
killing pain.
• When 250,000 injured
Civil War soldiers
became addicted, it
became known as the
soldiers’ disease
• Because it is a useful
drug, it is still
prescribed for
everything from
headaches to skull
fractures.
Morphine
• Illicit morphine is produced mostly in
powder form as well as tablets, cubes and
capsules.
Heroin
• In 1898 chemists
• Because it is 35 times
produced a new safe
stronger than
drug from morphine
morphine, and even
and introduced it as
more potent painkiller,
being able to cure
it made people feel
morphine and opium
even more euphoric.
addictions.
• Because heroin was
• During the early 1900s
more addictive, in the
the use of heroin
early 1900s it was
spread rapidly.
banned.
Did you know?
• During the 1960s heroin use was
widespread among American soldiers
stationed in Vietnam.
• There are an estimated 600,000 heroin
addicts in the United States, with men
outnumbering women addicts by three to
one.
Heroin
• In its purest form,
heroin is a white
powder with an
extremely bitter taste.
• When sold almost
always cut with
starches and sugars.
• Almost always
injected, it can be
smoked and snorted.
• Heroin produces
immediate euphoria,
constricted pupils,
lowered sex drive, less
tension, and loss of
appetite.
• The euphoria will last
3 to 8 hours.
Heroin
• Users tend to become
addicted within two
weeks of use.
• Many will develop a
tolerance to the drug
over time, with
stronger and more
frequent cravings.
• Withdrawal symptoms
occur 8 to 24 hours
after the last fix.
Physical Effects
• Physical effects
• When long term
include constricted
injection users may
pupils, drowsiness,
develop infections of
slurred speech, and
the heart lining and
impaired attention or
valves, skin abscesses,
memory.
and lung congestion.
• Slowing down the
respiratory system;
overdoses can cause
fatal respiratory shock.
How users feel
• The user will feel very relax with an
immediate rush that will last up to 10 to 30
minutes.
• 2 to 6 hours later they will feel indifferent,
lethargic, and drowsy.
• They will have trouble going through a
normal routine.
Risk and Effects
• Other effects will include sensation of
warmth or heaviness, dry mouth, facial
flushing, and nausea.
• Heroin and other narcotics to not last long,
addicts have to “shoot up” two to five times
a day.
• With more doses, skin becomes cold, moist,
and bluish. Breathing slows, the user can
not be awaken and may stop breathing.
Risks
• Addiction is common.
• Users continue taking
narcotics as much to
avoid the discomfort
of withdrawal.
Withdrawal
• Withdrawal begins
within 6 to 12 hours.
• The intensity of the
symptoms depends on
the degree of the
addiction.
• Symptoms may
include water eyes,
running nose, nausea,
diarrhea, chills,
excruciating cramps
and tremors.
• Symptoms associated
with heroin
withdrawal get
progressively worse
for three to four days.
• The user becomes
more irritable and
experiences episodes
of severe sneezing.
Methadone
• Studies demonstrate
• Very controversial,
that only 10 to 30% of
positive benefits have
heroin users are able
included decreased use
to maintain abstinence.
of heroin, decreased
criminal behavior,
• Methadone can
decreased risk of
substitute for
AIDS, improvements
detoxification usually
of health, employment
over a period of 21 to
and other lifestyle
180 days as a
factors.
treatment.