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Narcotic of natural origin
- Opium comes from Poppy plant, Botanical called ‘Papaver Somniferum’.
- Opium is collected from unripe fruit of the Poppy plant. Opium is dark greyish or brownish tar like substance.
- Opium is smoked , Chewed and absorbed through the mucuous membrane of the mouth. It is also boiled with water and drunk.
Morphine
Morphine is principal alkaloid that is extracted from opium about 10 to 15 % of opium contains morphine. It is one of the most effective drugs for relief of pain.
Routes of administration
- Injected – Subcutaneously, Intra muscularly or intravenously.
- Most morphine addict use intravenous route.
Codeine
Codeine is another alkaloid found in opium, 1 to 2 %. Codeine is used in cough – suppressant drugs and anti diarrhoeal preparations.
Route of administration
- Injected – subcutaneously or intramuscularly.
- Oral – medical preparation of codeine are made in combination with other chemicals and are available in the form of tablets and syrups.
- Codeine is very rarely abused as its analgesic effects are mild and severe side effects ( Eg. Convulsions) are often experienced.
Semi synthetic narcotics
- Heroine/Brown Sugar
- Heroine( Di – acetyl morphine ) is a semi synthetic derivative of drug morphine.
- Brown sugar is adulterated form of heroine.
- Brown Sugar is ‘Smoked’ of ‘Chased’.
Synthetic Narcotics
- Synthetic narcotics are produced only in laboratory.
- These drugs imitate the effects of opiates but are not prepared from opium.
- Pethidine and methadone are most widely available synthetic drugs.
Routes of administration
- Oral– Meperidine (Pethidine) can be administered orally in the form of tablets.
- Injected – Subcutaneously, intramuscularly or intravenously.
- Pethidine addicts almost always inject the drug intravenously.
- Methadone is effective when administered orally, so Methadone is usually taken in the form of tablets.
