Opium is a substance extracted from the oriental poppy (Papaver somniferum) so it is considered a natural drug, originally used to combat extreme pains as it acts on the nervous system, eliminating pain and discomfort, but also has a hypnotic action.although it can also negatively affect the body by causing tolerance, requiring increasing doses to find the same benefits».
Natural opium is found illegally in the form of a bar, powder, capsule or tablet.In powder form, it is inhaled, as is cocaine, but opium can also be taken in the form of tea, as a sublingual tablet or as a suppository.Opium cannot be smoked because heat degrades its molecules, altering its effects.
The natural opium consumed has the following effects on the body
These effects last 3 to 4 hours, depending on the amount consumed. In addition, opium also lowers blood pressure and the respiratory center, but to recover the same effects, the doses must be increased, which generates addiction and dependence.
After 12 hours to 10 days without opium consumption, the body has withdrawal symptoms, requiring a new intake, such as:
It is not possible to predict when the person becomes addicted and therefore these symptoms may occur even after any use of this medicine.
To get rid of opium dependence, hospitalization is necessary for treatment against chemical dependence, as there is a risk of death if the person suddenly decides to stop consuming.In treatment centers, medications are used to help the body get rid of opium gradually, however, opium consumption changes the body at the molecular level so that the person who has already consumed opium may have a relapse even after many years of their last consumption.
The largest producer of natural opium is Afghanistan, which has large poppy plantations, but the other countries involved are Turkey, Iran, India, China, Lebanon, Greece, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria and southwest Asia.
Opium is in the form of a powder obtained from the latex extracted 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, causing sleep and rest.
Other substances derived from opium but produced in the laboratory are heroin, meperidine, propoxyphene and methadone, which are powerful medicines for acute and postoperative pain.Some names of opiate remedies are Meperidine, Dolantine, Demerol, Algafan and Tylex.The use of these drugs also makes the person accustomed to their effects on the brain, become dependent, at risk of overdose, so these remedies are indicated only in extreme cases.