NARCOTICS
Facts About The Drug
What It Is
Names: Codeine (schoolboy), heroin (junk, horse, H, Harry, scat, smack, scag, brown sugar), hydromorphone (Dilaudid), merperidine (Demerol), methadone, morphine, oxycodone (Percodan), pentazocine (Talwin), propoxyphene (Darvon), diphenoxylate (Lomotil), fentanyls, hydrocodone, (Novahistex DH), levallorphan (Lorfan), MPPP, opium, pain killers.
Type: Narcotic analgesic as natural or semisynthetic opiate. Synthetic opioids.
Forms: Poppy juice, powder, solution.
Combinations: With cocaine or methamphetamine (speedball).
Usage: Injected into bloodstream (mainlining, hit) or muscle, or under skin (skin popping). Swallowed.
Legal Status: Illegal except as manufactured and prescribed by license.
Other Forms: Narcotic combination compounds (ASA [Aspirin] and oxycodone or codeine) are used for moderate pain from inflammation. Morphine, codeine, hydrocodone and hydrocodone are used in cough suppressants. Morphine, opium and diphenoxylate (Lomotil) are used in antidiarrhea medications. Opiates are used to relieve pain and anesthesia.
What It Feels Like
Orgasmic rush of pleasure, numbness, lack of pain, euphoria. Anxiety, depression, nausea, constipation may occur as after-effects.
What It Does
To Your Mind: Depresses breathing and other brain centers. Relieves pain and anxiety.
To Your Body: Depresses all body systems.
Special Characteristics: "Antagonists" such as methadone prevent narcotic effects from developing and reverse the acute effects. Sharp, localized pain is not relieved well by narcotic analgesics. Withdrawal effects for all narcotics, and for methadone, can be severe.
How It Can Hurt You
Impurity of street drugs, dangers of needle use (including infection and AIDS), withdrawal effects, limited vision, reduced sex drive, menstrual irregularity , chronic constipation, mood swings, breathing problems, heart problems, tremors, muscle twitches, hyperactive reflexes, nervousness, restlessness, seizures, toxic psychosis.
Death from malnutrition, overdose, combination effect of barbiturates and other sedative/hypnotic drugs.
Dependence develops with tolerance and cross-tolerance of other drug effects, and fear off withdrawal.
Unborn children of dependent mother absorb the drugs and experience a life-threatening withdrawal process after birth. Methadone infant withdrawal is especially severe.
When To Get Help
- Do you think about how and when you're going to take drugs again?
- Is your work or school performance affected?
- Has your health changed?
- Are you having problems with family and friends?
- Are you spending more on narcotics than you can afford?
- Do you use a variety of drugs?
One "yes" and your common sense tells you it's time to get smart about drugs and the rest of your life.
Fact:All narcotics are addicting and dangerous.
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