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Table of Contents
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Opium poppies are white flowers that
thrive in the dry, warm
climate of southern Asia.
This field was grown for
pharmaceutical purposes.
Artistic portrayal of a French opium
den around 1900.
Images from Snyder, 1996.
Used with permission by W.H.
Freeman and Company.
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The opiates are compounds derived from opium, a gummy extract of the
poppy plant (Papaver somniferum). Poppies appear to be normal
flowering plants; however, when opium finds its way into the human body,
it can trigger drastic changes in the nervous system. Chemists have
synthesized many drugs that act similarly to the opiates. Collectively,
these plant-derived and synthesized drugs are known as the opioids (Iversen,
1996).
The dual nature of opioids to relieve pain and create a satisfying mental
state has made these drugs some of the most widely used throughout human
history (Snyder, 1996). Mimicking some of the brain's neurotransmitters,
they interfere with the pain perception pathway and stimulate the pleasure
centers within the limbic system (Kandel and Schwartz 1985).
Opioids epitomize the benefits and drawbacks of drug development. Being
the most powerful known pain relievers, they have alleviated countless
people from suffering (Mogil et al., 1996). However, used recreationally,
the opioids produce a strong dependency, which has led to devastating effects
on millions of users and society as a whole (Snyder, 1996).
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