Drug use seems to be a much more common every day. It seems like the number of people who are using and becoming addicted to drugs just keeps increasing. Perhaps if more people had more knowledge of drugs, their history and effects it would not be as bad. However, it does not always work that way. Many do know side effects of certain things and still choose to use. The use of drugs could very well be like a form of observational learning. Many people will pick something up once they have observed other people actively doing it. This idea works well with groups of individuals who are using a drug or substance around someone who has never used. That one individual may learn that behavior of using the substance, and how to use it by watching the …show more content…
More specifically, they come from opium, or the poppy plant (Addictions and Recovery). This is the same as a poppy seed that you find in or on your food products and for example, an everything bagel contains poppy seeds. It is in a way the same thing only consumed differently, in a different amount and obviously for different reasons. Synthetic opiates are manufactured with chemicals and are not completely natural. Their structures mimic that of the natural opiates and are created in laboratories (Synthetic Opiates List). Natural opium and synthetic opiates are mixed to create semi-synthetic opiates (Synthetic Opiates List). Basically, a true opiate would be directly derived from a poppy plant and contain natural opium alkaloids while both synthetic and semi-synthetic opiates are …show more content…
It is said that they had many different uses for it. Uses ranged from relaxing to calming a young child (History of Drug Abuse). It is also believed that Opium was not only used for medical purposes, but also for rituals. When used in rituals, it was used by magicians, priests, warriors and shamans (About Opiate Addiction). It was not until much later that people began using opiates recreationally. This occurred around the fourteenth century in the Middle East, fifteenth century in China and late in the 1800’s for the United States. Once the Chinese began immigrating to the United States, they brought Opium with them and introduced the Americans to abusing and depending on it (About Opiate Addiction). Another take on where opium came from originally is from London. It is also believed that opium was big in London, and introduced to America when it would be shipped overseas to settlers here in the United States (The history of drug). It seems safe to say that no one truly knows exactly where the use of opiates originated or when it did. History in this matter is just not clearly stated
Granted, opioid based Pain killers like OxyContin have been invented and used for centuries. It was Hippocrates who first used opioids as a form of medicine. He used opium to stop the pain of internal illnesses, like "women’s diseases" (Blachford and Krapp). But as time went on chemists were able to actually separate and isolate more compounds from the opium plant, such as the chemical Thebaine, the main substance used to make Oxycodone (Meier 57). Oxycodone is the chemical in OxyContin that gives it the pain killing effects, it was developed in Germany circa 1916, and they labeled it under the name Eukodal (Blachford and Krapp). From there, the FDA first approved the use of Oxycodone in 1976 (Blachford and Krapp). Then In 1996 a drug manufacturer by the name of Purdue Frederick started the sale of Oxycodone under the brand name OxyContin, in order to sell the drug he opened a special unit known as Purdue Pharma (Meier 12). Following the release in 1996, it became highly sou...
Typically, almost everyone in the world has taken drugs at some point in their life. Whether it be over the counter medication or prescription drugs. People get sick, they have illness, allegories, sexually transmitted diseases or other aches and pains. As you may already know, there is medication for each aforementioned problem. This is called drug use, which is using drugs for its intended purpose. However, the real dilemma happens when people began to misuse and abuse drugs.
The opium trade was incorporated to the China culture into the global market. During that period the economies of India, China and Britain were connected to one another in a trade that was one of the most important connection as a role in the global market. The opium trade started in the 17 century the drug was just shipped from Portuguese Goa in Portuguese and British ships, the opium was held by a monopoly who was controlled by the Dutch. Taking the opium in EIC vessels was really criticized by the directors of the London Company, for incurring losses and putting in danger legal forms of the famous Sino-British trade, since this drug was illegal in China. The EAST INDIA COMPANY by regulating and restricting production,
Drug use and abuse is as old as mankind itself. Human beings have always had a desire to eat or drink substances that make them feel relaxed, stimulated, or euphoric. Wine was used at least from the time of the early Egyptians; narcotics from 4000 B.C.; and medicinal use of marijuana has been dated to 2737 B.C. in China. But it was not until the nineteenth century that the active substances in drugs were extracted. There was a time in history when some of these newly discovered substances, such as morphine, laudanum, cocaine, were completely unregulated and prescribed freely by physicians for a wide variety of ailments.
Heroin was originally synthesized in 1874 by a man named C.R Alder Wright. Created as a solution to opium, a drug that had plagued many American households. It was originally produced for medical purposes evidently becoming highly addictive. Heroin “... was originally marketed as a non-addictive substance” (“History of Addiction”) which inevitably increased its popularity. It became especially popular in places of poverty. Heroin became a solution to struggle. So common it was almost as if heroin was a prescribed medicine for hardship. Known as “[a] treatment of many illnesses and pain” (“A brief history of addiction”) but later revealed that it caused more harm than good. Being so easily accessible it became immensely common among musicians.
Almost everyone can say that they have had an experience with drugs, either it be with just witnessing it or using it. Throughout my life, I have had many bad experiences with drugs and it has taught me to stay away from them. Our society now somewhat looks up to the use of drug, with it being in the music industry or being in movies, it is in our culture and this could hurt us as a country down the road. Now, I’m not saying it is not okay to party once and awhile, but if a person is to party on a regular basis this could turn into an addiction to alcohol, illegal drugs, tobacco, and even caffeine. In all, there needs to be more facts and ads telling kids about these problems because they are our future and we have to set them up for success.
The poppy plants produce natural opiates. An opiate is defined as the drug derived from the opium poppy and are found in the milky substance extracted from the unripe seeds. The opiates are the best known narcotics. There are twenty different alkaloids derived from the opiates. Codeine and Morphine are the ones that are still in widespread use today. Codeine is a milder form of morphine and both are used today in the medical field for relieving pain.
Morphine is effective pain medication used in hospitals and prescribed by physicians for the treatment of moderate to severe pain. It is used for treatment for both acute and chronic long term pain management. Morphine is an opiate analgesic derived from opium. Opium is obtained from the natural growing opium poppy plant (papavera somniferum) by scraping the unripe seed capsule, and then collecting and drying the rubbery exudates. Morphine acts directly on the central nervous system to decrease the feeling of pain. Morphine has both positive beneficial effects and negative effects. Tolerance to morphine happens rapidly, requiring more of the drug to achieve the desired pain relief effect and feelings of euphoria make abuse and addiction
Without contrast, the primary reason for drug abuse in individuals comes from the conscious state of addiction. According to Webster’s, addiction is described as “the fact or condition of being addicted to a particular substance, thing, or activity (Hacker, 2011).” Sure, human nature’s desire to conform to peer pressure might cause one to first try a certain drug, but the euphoric mental states found in drugs mentally trap many individuals into becoming dependent upon these sensations. With that being said, these sensations vary depending on the type of drug used.
Historically, opium was a drug that was used to ease pain during surgeries such as tooth pulling and amputations (Cowell). “Opium is produced from the opium poppy, a flowering plant native to Turkey.” It contains a latex solution, which is raw opium and includes morphine and other alkaloids. Raw opium can be eaten or diluted in a liquid, but it is usually boiled then dried so it can be smoked. The opium trade began due to a loss of British silver from the Americas. The Chinese were only exporting goods to Britain and not importing any goods, causing Britain to lose most of its silver. Britain decided to sell the addicting opium, grown in present-day India and Pakistan, to China. As more people became addicted to the drug, the more China had to buy from Britain, and the more silver Britain got back from the Chinese. In 19th century China, there were merits and demerits to the opium trade. “They [The Legalizers of Opium] argued that legalization would generate tax revenues and they believed prohibition was expensive and strengthened the feared lower bureaucracy. The ...
It has been discovered that most people who struggle with drug addiction began experimenting with drugs in their teens. Teenage drug abuse is one of the largest problems in society today and the problem grows and larger every year. Drugs are a pervasive force in our culture today. To expect kids not to be influenced by the culture of their time is as unrealistic as believing in the tooth fairy (Bauman 140). Teens may feel pressured by their friends to try drugs, they may have easy access to drugs, they may use drugs to rebel against their family or society, or they may take an illegal drug because they are curious about it or the pleasure that it gives them.
When most people think about what narcotics are they think of, painkillers. What is a narcotic? A narcotic is, a drug or substance that affects mood and behavior, they also help with pain. When this happens, receptor sites for endorphins and neurotransmitters deaden pain sensations naturally. They also slow down the nervous system, so when used with alcohol they can become deadly.(Ciccarelli. & White.,2012, pg 151). Also they were derived from the opium poppy.(Ciccarelli. & White.,2012, pg 151). Which narcotics can be given for medical reasons but they are mostly used illegally. According to the (American Addiction Center,2018) opium poppy is a natural growing substance, but with chemicals and other materials included, makes it synthesized
Illegal drugs are used by people as a way out when feeling down about themselves. As the effects of the drugs may stay the same throughout, causes show that there are a large number of reasons for use. Being lonely, isolated, and frustrated in life help start off the drive to escape. In many cases, using drugs is a coping mechanism, especially in teens. Emotions become numb as people try to escape the pain of reality. This is seen in the youth of today as they deal with everyday pressures.. Drug abuse can make people think they are re-creating their former negative self image. This rebellious action gives the attention that is desired. From trying to fit in to hiding from problems, people will always have a choice. In the end, the reality of drug use is damaging to the user's body, mind and relationships.
There are many addictions in the world, and drug addiction is the biggest. People may experiment with the drug for many reasons. “If your drug use is causing problems in your life, then you likely have a drug abuse or addiction problem”.(Lawrence Robinson pg.1) Many people start out using drugs by peer pressure or out of their own curiosity. Stress, anxiety, lows self-esteem and depression could be another factor to start using drugs. The drug takes over your body and gives you a good feeling that many people tend to enjoy. The urge to use the drug can keep increasing rapidly after the first use. The urge can become so severe that your mind can find many other ways to deny the factor of addiction. Very few drug addicts can feel and realize when they have crossed the line with drugs. A drug addicts mind can build up a very large tolerance for the drug that they start to abandon the activities they used to do on a daily basis like showering, hobbies, socializing and even being associated with family members. The person with the addiction will continue to use the drug knowing that it is harming there body, but they don’t have any remorse. A drug addict will often try to hide their problem, so they can continue to use without anyone’s input. Family and friends may try to use preaching methods or tell the user that they need to stop using the drug. This method is not ...
Drug abuse has been a hot topic for our society due to how stimulants interfere with health, prosperity, and the lives of others in all nations. All drugs have the potential to be misapplied, whether obtained by prescription, over the counter, or illegally. Drug abuse is a despicable disease that affects many helpless people. Majority of those who are beset with this disease go untreated due to health insurance companies who neglect and discriminate this issue. As an outcome of missed opportunities of treatments, abusers become homeless, very ill, or even worst, death.