narcotic, any of a number of substances that have a depressant effect on the nervous system. The chief narcotic drugs are opium opium, substance derived by collecting and drying the milky juice in the unripe seed pods of the opium poppy , Papaver somniferum. Opium varies in color from yellow to dark brown and has a characteristic odor and a bitter taste.
..... Click the link for more information. , its constituents morphine morphine, principal derivative of opium , which is the juice in the unripe seed pods of the opium poppy , Papaver somniferum. It was first isolated from opium in 1803 by the German pharmacist F. W. A.
..... Click the link for more information. and codeine codeine (kō`dēn), alkaloid found in opium . It is a narcotic whose effects, though less potent, resemble those of morphine .
..... Click the link for more information. , and the morphine derivative heroin heroin (hĕ`rəwən), opiate drug synthesized from morphine (see narcotic ).
..... Click the link for more information. .

See also drug addiction and drug abuse drug addiction and drug abuse, chronic or habitual use of any chemical substance to alter states of body or mind for other than medically warranted purposes.
..... Click the link for more information. .

Actions and Uses

In small doses narcotics have valuable medical uses, numbing the senses, relieving severe pain, and inducing sleep. They are also given preoperatively to relieve pain and anxiety. Common side effects include constipation, nausea, and allergic reactions. In large doses narcotics can be highly dangerous, causing stupor, coma, convulsions, or death. All narcotics are addictive; several morphine derivatives as well as chemically dissimilar narcotics that have been developed for medical use have fewer side effects and are less addictive than morphine, but they are also generally less potent. Unlike general anesthetics such as ether ether, any of a number of organic compounds whose molecules contain two hydrocarbon groups joined by single bonds to an oxygen atom. The most common of these compounds is ethyl ether, CH₃CH₂OCH₂CH₃
..... Click the link for more information. and chloroform chloroform (klôr`əfôrm) or trichloromethane
..... Click the link for more information. , narcotics depress the respiratory center and in low doses relieve pain without inducing sleep. Respiratory depression occurs in newborns whose mothers have been given narcotics such as meperidine (Demerol) during labor. Narcotics differ from barbiturates barbiturate (bärbĭch`ərāt'), any one of a group of drugs that act as depressants on the central nervous system .
..... Click the link for more information. and other sedatives sedative, any of a variety of drugs that relieve anxiety. Most sedatives act as mild depressants of the nervous system, lessening general nervous activity or reducing the irritability or activity of a specific organ.
..... Click the link for more information. in that they have no anticonvulsant action; also, narcotics relieve pain, while sedatives do not.

Attempts at Control

There are strict controls on narcotic prescription and administration in the United States. Nevertheless, addiction to narcotics, especially heroin, which has no legal use, continues to be a serious problem. There have been nationally and internationally based attempts to control the production of narcotics and to limit their export and import to medical use only. Large quantities are nonetheless grown in the "Golden Triangle" region of Myanmar and Thailand (cultivation in Laos was largely eradicated in 2005) and in SW Asia (e.g., Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan), Lebanon, Mexico, and Guatemala, and a large illicit traffic in these substances continues.

Bibliography

See publications of the Drugs & Crime Data Center and Clearinghouse, the Bureau of Justice Statistics Clearinghouse, and the National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information.

narcotic

Drug that produces analgesia (see analgesic), narcosis (stupor or sleep), and drug addiction. In most people narcotics also produce euphoria. Those that occur naturally in the opium poppy, notably morphine, have been used since ancient Greek times. The main therapeutic use of narcotics is for pain relief. Most countries limit the production, sale, and use of narcotics because of their addictive properties and detrimental effects and the incidence of drug abuse. With the development in the 19th century of the hypodermic needle and of heroin, five to 10 times as potent as morphine, the use and abuse of narcotics increased dramatically. A narcotic overdose can cause central nervous system depression, respiratory failure, and death.

narcotic

any of a group of drugs, such as heroin, morphine, and pethidine, that produce numbness and stupor. They are used medicinally to relieve pain but are sometimes also taken for their pleasant effects; prolonged use may cause addiction

narcotic (redirected from Narcotic possession)

Actions and Uses

Attempts at Control

Bibliography

narcotic

narcotic
(redirected from Narcotic possession)