Opium

Opium is a drug made from the poppy plant. Poppies grow in many different countries but most poppies today are used to make heroin and opium is much less popular than in was in the past. In the past opium was widely used for both medical and recreational purposes. 


Opium is made by drying the latex contained with in the opium poppy. It contains morphine usually about 8-10% by weight. This is what makes opium addictive. It also contains some codeine and other alkaloids. Typically opium is smoked in order to vaporize the morphine and get high (or relieve pain). Opium was also used in other ways. For instance Laudanum was a solution of opium in alcohol that was used as a way to consume opium (and thus morphine). 




Opium is usually a tar-like material and can be sticky. It varies in color from yellow to tan to brown or black. Opium is not widely available because it is not very popular and it is much more profitable to refine the opium into heroin which is easier to smuggle and easier to sell. Like morphine, heroin, and oxycodone, opium is addictive and causes tolerance and dependence.

Short-Term Effects

When opium is used it interferes with the reabsorption of dopamine, a brain chemical associated with pleasure and movement, producing a euphoric effect. Shortly after cocaine is ingested the user may experience the following symptoms:

- Constricted blood vessels.

- Dilated pupils.

- Increased body temperature.

- Increased heart rate.

- Higher blood pressure.

During the euphoric period after opium use, which can last up until 30 minutes, user will experience hyperstimulation, reduced fatigue, and mental alertness. However, some users also experience restlessness, irritability, and anxiety.

During a cocaine binge, when the drug is taken repeatedly, users may experience increasing restlessness, irritability and paranoia. For some users this can lead to a period of paranoid psychosis, with auditory hallucinations and a disconnection with reality.

Long-Term Effects

Repeated opium use can cause the following health consequences:

- Irregular heart beat.

- Heart attack.

- Chest pain.

- Respiratory failure.

- Stroke.

- Seizures and headaches.

- Abdominal pain and nausea.

Chronic users of opium can become malnourished due to the drug's ability to decrease appetite. Each method of taking opium can produce specific health effects, including:

Snorting: Chronically runny nose, nosebleeds, loss of smell, hoarseness, and problems swallowing.

Ingesting: Severe bowel gangrene due to a reduction in the flow of blood to the intestines.

Injecting: Severe allergic reactions. Increased risk for contracting HIV, Hepatitis and other blood-borne diseases.

Visit my blog : cheap trip and vacation bali island !