Opium
What is it?
- Opium is a highly addictive narcotic drug in the dried latex form from the opium poppy (papaver somniferum) seed pod. Traditionally the unripened pot is slit open and the sap seeps out and dries on the outer surface of the pod. The resulting yellow-brown latex, which is scraped off the pod, is bitter in taste and contains varying amounts of alkaloids such as morphine, codeine, thebaine, and papaverine.
- The more popular way of consuming opium is through smoking it. Smoking opium is easy and has almost immediate effects. However, opium, like many other drugs, can also be eaten by baking it into pastries, drunk in teas, or injected directly into the bloodstream. Injecting opium is also popular and the effects of opium begin instantly.
- Opium can be used as a narcotic or in a medicine. Because opium can be found in medicinal substances, they can also be found easily as a narcotic. Opium is often processed chemically to produce illegal drugs such as heroin which is a drug that many people are using.
What are the short term effects?
- Drowsiness - Lethargy - Paranoia - Respiratory depression - Nausea |
What are the long term effects?
- Nausea and vomiting - Abdominal distention and bloating - Constipation - Liver damage (especially prevalent in abuse of drugs that combine opiates with acetaminophen) - Brain damage due to hypoxia, resulting from respiratory depression - Development of tolerance - Dependence |
How can you minimise its harms?
- If you haven’t used drugs such as opium for a while, be aware that your tolerance is likely to be a lot lower than it was before – it would be best to use a smaller amount
- If using illegal drugs from an unknown source or of unknown purity, have a smaller amount at first
- Try to avoid using alone – let someone know where you are and what you are doing or have a friend with you
- Don't share injecting equipment
- If you haven’t used drugs such as opium for a while, be aware that your tolerance is likely to be a lot lower than it was before – it would be best to use a smaller amount
- If using illegal drugs from an unknown source or of unknown purity, have a smaller amount at first
- Try to avoid using alone – let someone know where you are and what you are doing or have a friend with you
- Don't share injecting equipment