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Heroin, Opiates, and the Analgesics
 Derived
from the Papaver Somniferum, or commonly known as the Poppy Plant,
opiates have been used for medicinal purposes for thousands of years
and are still used today as pain killers. Three categories that
opiates fall into are naturally occurring, semi-synthetic, and synthetic.
The naturally occurring opiates such as opium, morphine, codeine,
and thebaine are extremely prevalent in today's society, partially
due to the availability as painkillers or analgesics. Opium
is also known as "Big O," "Hop," "Tar," "Molasses," "Gong" and "Blue
Velvet."
Morphine is the chief psychoactive element in opium,
with the concentration ranging from 4% to 21%, and is an extremely
powerful pain killer. It is also referred to as Morphine
Sulfate Injection, MS Contin, Duramorph, and on the street, "Morph,"
"Dreamer" and "Miss Emma."
Heroin was first synthesized in Germany in 1898 by the Bayer
Company and is the most prevalent of the semi-synthetic opiates.
Most commonly in a powder form, the more prevalent form of administering
is by mainlining (intravenously), skin-popping (subcutaneously),
or intramuscularly. With the purer forms becoming more available,
snorting or smoking the powder has also become common. Heroin
also goes by the names "Big H," "Smack," "Dope," "Mojo," "Brown"
(due to the crude processing methods), "Mexican Brown" and Mud.
Oxycodone is similar to codeine as an analgesic, but proves
to be more addictive. Percodan, Percoset, and Tylox are trade names,
not unlike Demerol.
 According
to a recent study, there are approximately 1.9 million habitual
users of analgesics. In the same study, about 2.5 million Americans
have used Heroin at some point. As a direct result of the respiration
being repressed, an overdose is an extreme yet common effect of
the abuse of opiates. Malnutrition, Gastrointestinal problems, and
severe infection (resulting from injecting, as with heroin). In
addition to these side effects, the withdrawal symptoms are equally
severe. From watery eyes, muscle spasms, and flu like symptoms to
mental cravings and severe depression, the rehabilitation process
is even more taxing on the individual.
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