Opium is a substance extracted from the eastern poppy ( Papaver somniferum ) and is therefore considered a natural drug. It was initially used to combat extreme pain as it acts on the nervous system, eliminating pain and discomfort, but it also has a hypnotic action, although it can also negatively affect the body causing tolerance, requiring increasing doses to find the same 'benefits. '.
How opium is consumed
Illegally, natural opium is found in bar form, in powder, in capsules or tablets. In powder, it is inhaled, just like cocaine, but opium can also be taken as tea, and in the form of a sublingual tablet or in the form of a suppository. Opium cannot be smoked because heat degrades its molecules, changing its effects.
Effects of the drug opium
Natural opium when consumed has the following effects on the body:
- Analgesic action and combats severe pain, bringing a feeling of relief and well-being; Induces sleep, for having hypnotic action; Combats cough, being therefore widely used in syrups and cough remedies; Induces a state of calm where reality and dream mingles; affects intelligence; decreases the body's natural defense system, with a greater risk of disease.
These effects last for 3 to 4 hours, depending on the amount that has been consumed. But in addition, opium also lowers blood pressure and the center of breathing, but to find the same effects, increasing doses are needed, which causes addiction and dependence.
Withdrawal symptoms
After going about 12 hours to 10 days without consuming opium, the body shows withdrawal symptoms, requiring a new intake, such as:
- Sensitivity to light; Tremors; Increased pressure; Diarrhea; Crying crises; Nausea and vomiting; Cold sweat; Anxiety; Abdominal and muscle cramps; Loss of appetite; Insomnia and Severe pain.
It is not possible to predict when the person becomes dependent and therefore these symptoms can appear even after few uses of this drug.
In order to get rid of opium addiction, hospitalization is necessary for treatment against chemical dependence because there is a risk of death if the person decides to stop consuming abruptly. In treatment centers, medicines are used that help the body to get rid of opium little by little, which makes rehabilitation possible. However, opium consumption molecularly alters the organism so that the person who has already consumed opium may have a relapse even after many years of the last consumption.
Origin of opium
The largest producer of natural opium is Afghanistan, which has large poppy fields, but other countries involved are Turkey, Iran, India, China, Lebanon, Greece, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria and southwest Asia.
Opium is found in the form of powder that is obtained from the latex that is removed from the poppy capsule, which is still green. This powder contains morphine and codeine, which act on the central nervous system making the brain work more slowly, which causes sleep and rest.
Other substances derived from opium, but produced in the laboratory, are heroin, meperidine, propoxyphene and methadone, which are potent drugs against acute and postoperative pain. Some names of opiate remedies are Meperidine, Dolantina, Demerol, Algafan and Tylex. The use of these drugs also makes the person used to their effects on the brain, becoming addicted, with the risk of overdose, so these remedies are only indicated in extreme cases.
