Opiates And The Law Essay -- essays research papers fc

Opiates And The LawIllicit drug use and the debate skirt the various legal options available to the government in an effort to subdue it is nothing new to America. Since the enactment of the Harrison Narcotic Act in 1914 (Erowid) the human beings has struggled with how to effectively deal with this phenomena, from catching individual users to deciding what to do with those who atomic number 18 convicted (DEA). Complicating the issue further is the ever-expanding list of substances available for abuse. Some are concocted in basements or bathtubs by drug addicts themselves, some in the labs of multinational pharmaceutic companies, and still others are just old compounds waiting for society to erupt them.Almost overnight sensation such venerable substance (or fall apart of substances) has been catapulted into the national spotlight prescription painkillers, namely those derived from the opium poppy. This class of analgesic encompasses everything from the codeine in prescription c ough syrup to the morphine used in the oversight of sever pain. These compounds are commonly referred to as opiates and are maturated naturally by the poppy. The sub-class of this type that has gotten all of the attention recently is the opioids, which are semi-synthetic compounds derived from the opiates (Wade 846). Opioids were developed for a variety of reasons, such as reducing the cost of production (morphine is valuable to synthesize) and attempting to reduce the addictiveness of the drugs.And addictive they are. Heroin is perhaps the best-known opioid around, and arguably one of the most addictive substances known to man. Opiates and opioids (hereafter generically referred to as opioids) function by attaching to receptor sites in the body called mu-receptors, which are primarily located in the brain and the digestive system. When these receptors are activated in the brain they produce a rush of euphoria and a groggy state of intumesce being (it is interesting to note that studies have shown that this action does not go on the pain one is feeling, but merely miscell alls ones perception of it) (Kalb). The body chop-chop becomes tolerant of this, however, and abuse frequently follows a steep dosage cut down requiring that more and more of the drug be taken to produce the kindred effect. Long-term abusers develop... ...keep them from indulging their habit. The truth of the matter is no one change or modification to existing policy will have much(prenominal) effect if any, on the current state of affairs. It isnt enough to banishment drugs, we must work to understand their allure and the intricate mechanisms in our brains and in our psychology that make some of us too weak to pass up the temptation. Only with this sort of concentrated effort will we see any progress.Works CitedErowid Psychoactive Vaults. Home Page. 6 April 2001. .Kalb, Claudia. Playing With Painkillers. Newsweek 9 April 2001 45-47.Richwine, Lisa. US Launches Fight Against Prescr iption Drug Abuse. YahooNews. 10 April 2001 .Rosenberg, Debra. How One Town Got Hooked. Newsweek. 9 April 2001 48-51.Sacco, Vincent F, and Kennedy, Leslie W. The Criminal Event. New York Wadsworth, 1996.United States Drug Enforcement Agency. Home Page. 6 April 2001. .Wade, L.G. younger Organic Chemistry. New Jersey Prentice Hall, 1999 846-847.