Opiate Overview

An opiate is a drug derived from opium. The narcotic drug, opiate, is derived from a poppy seed originating in Asia and is also commonly known as white opium.

“Opiate drugs have a chemical composition method originally designed to serve two main purposes.”

The first is the aid of pain. Opium is an ingredient in medications like morphine and codeine. The issue with the use of these medications is that they are highly addictive and the body can become highly dependent on the drug if not taken as directed by a physician.

Opiate Addiction

Papaverine is the second most common use of Opium which helps the central nervous system of the human body feel more relaxed. Papaverine is a non addictive drug for the human body.

Types of Opiates:

• Darvocet and Darvon
• Demerol
• Dilaudid
• Fentanyl
• Hydrocodone
• Methadone
• Tramadol

We will focus our analysis on the ones that are the most highly addictive and are the cause for most patients to seek addiction treatment from a rehab facility and those are Oxycodone (Painkillers) and Heroin. If you want more details on the other opiates listed above you can consult the National Institute on Drug Abuse