Some of the most useful modern medicines and worst drug addicting illicit drugs derivefrom the same harmless looking flowering plant called the poppy. This is not theCalifornia Golden Poppy even though they are related. I am talking about the poppyPapavar somniferum that is normally grown in the mid-east and far east. Other opiaterelated plants are grown in Mexico, South America, Africa and Southeast Asia.
From the ripe poppy pod a white milky liquid is extracted and processed into many formsthat can be used for legal medicinal purposes and illicit abuse.
Morphine, a derivative of the poppy juice, is used in many medicinal forms such as:Codeine, hydromophone, meperidine, methadone, morphine, oxycodone, pentazocine,propoxyphene, diphenoxylate, fentanyis, hydrocodone, levallorphan. These and otherderivatives of opium have been used for years to treat various forms of pain, act as asedative, antidiarrheal, and cough suppressant. For many years a lot of medicinescontained various forms of morphine/codeine in over the counter elixirs. However, withincreasing abuse of the �elixirs�, these became illegal without prescription in manycountries, especially in the United States. Today, morphine is used extensively to treatterminally ill cancer patients as part of a pain management treatment. The medicalprofession is finally realizing that it is impossible for a terminally ill person to get addictedto the drug.
Heroin, on the other hand, has almost always been used for the recreational purpose ofgetting �high�. It has many cousins derived from the same innocent looking flower. These cousins go by the name of �H�, horse, junk, smack, scag, Mexican mud, Chinawhite, black tar, brown sugar, and scat. The immediate, powerful rush, followed by peacefulness, lack of pain, euphoria,leading to drowsiness, inactivity are the main attractions of heroin even though it can beaccompanied by inability to concentrate, limited vision, slowed breathing, nausea andvomiting, lack of appetite, constipation, reduced sex drive along with other undesirableside effects. Just learning of its� side effects should be enough to discourage its� usage.
Dependence on the drug develops even when using in small amounts infrequently. Thetolerance level causes a progression to higher doses to obtain the same euphoric feeling.The withdrawal process in very difficult in itself and creates many problems in itself. Thepsychological dependence can cause depression, anxiety, inability to sleep, restlessness anda craving for the drug
Using heroin and its derivatives illegally for recreational purposes can lead to drowsinessthat can progress into a coma, irregular breathing and heartbeat and possible cardiacand/or respiratory arrest. Cardiac arrest means your heart stops beating. This means youdie. respiratory arrest means you stop breathing. This means you die. This does notinclude the problems associated with needle infection, collapsed veins, hepatitis andAcquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS).
How to recognize a person on heroin: usually very laid back, demonstrates extremeinactivity, inability to concentrate, small pupils, droopy eyelids, limited vision, slowedbreathing, nausea, vomiting, lack of appetite. The person may complain of constipation,increased urination, itching or burning on skin, low body temperature, sweating. Many ofthese symptoms when viewed separately do not indicate a problem. However, if more thanthree or four of these symptoms are evident, that person either needs immediate medicalcare and/or is under the influence of drugs.