Fall,2012
Vol.59
r*Hm
}UCATION
An Inforxafion*I bfewslettsr
K$UAlcohaI nnd Other Frug Educ*tian $ervice
HEROIN
MORPHINE
OPIUM
Opiumhas beenactivelycollected
sinceprehistoric
times. lt is the driedlatexsap
poppy.The
obtainedfromthe unripeseedpodsfromthe Papaversomniferum
traditional
methodof obtaining
the latexis to scratch("score")
the seedpods(fruits)by
hand;the latexleaksout anddriesto a stickyyellowishresiduethatis scrapedoff.
Opium,an alkaloid,containsapproximately
12o/o
morphine,
whichis frequently
processed
plantcontainsthe
chemically
to produceheroin.The Papaversomniferum
phenanthrene
alkaloidsmorphine,
codeineandthebaine.Thebaineoftenservesas the
raw materialfor the synthesis
for hydrocodone,
hydromorphone
andothersynthetic
opiates.In its rawform,opiumcaneitherbe ingestedor smoked.
Opiates,oftencallednarcotics,
arethosedrugswhicharederivedfromopium,opium
derivations
or opiumsynthetics.Thereareseveraldifferentdrugsin the opiatefamily,
including
opium,morphine,
heroin,codeine,hydromorphone/Dilaudid
and
meperidine/Demerol.
Morphinewasfirstisolatedfromthe opiumpoppyin 1804. Morphineis generally
odorless,rangingin colorfromclearto brown.Morphineis usuallyfoundin white
powder,tabletor liquidform. lt can be administered
crystalline
orally,inhaledor by
injection.
Heroin,the firstsemi-synthetic
opiate,wasfirstsynthesized
in 1874.Heroinis the
diacetylsaltof morphine.Heroinaccountsfor g0%of opiateabusein the UnitedStates;
it can be takenby intravenous
injection,
intranasally
or smoked.Onestudyfound
herointo be abouttwo timesmorepotentthanmorphine.Mixingheroinwithother
depressant
drugs(suchas alcohol)significantly
increases
the depressive
effectsof
heroinandcan resultin an increased
riskof respiratory
depression,
comaanddeath.
Funding in part provided by the Gity of Manhattan
HeroinUseon the Rise
area,their
are nota largeproblemin the Manhattan
currently
Althoughheroin/opiates
about
warrantsour needto informthe K-Statecommunity
increasein usagenationally
negative
possible
have
significant
highly
addictive
and
they
are
abusebecause
their
4% had
sideeffects.Recentsurveysof K-Statestudentsindicatethatapproximately
or heroinwithinthe pastyear. A recentnationalstudyfoundthat
usedopium,morptiine
heroinusehasdoubledin the lastthreeyears.
wellwithaffluent,
drug,heroinis nowgainingpopularity
lower-class
Oncea primarily
educatedusersandyouths.So whythe newinterestin heroin?Expertspointto several
factors:thereis a largesupplyof heroinin the U.S.;its priceis cheap;purityis very
are havinga much
to painkillers
thoseaddicted
high;andprobablymostimportantly,
prescription
and
hydromorphone
drugssuchas oxycodone,
hardertimeprocuring
per
pill,while
pain
pills
prescription
price
is
to
on the streetfor
OxyContin.The
$20 $60
heroincosts$3 to $10a bag. Manyyoungpeoplewhouseheroinstartoff snortingthe
drug,andwithinweeks,moststartshootingup. Almost90 percentof teenswho are
Abuseand
to recentdatafromthe Substance
addictedto heroinarewhite.According
heroinusehad
Administration,
81%of peopleinitiating
MentalHealthServices
previously
drugs.
abusedprescription
o
.
.
o
.
.
.
pupils
Constricted
Droopyeyelids
Drymouth
Low,raspyvoice
wounds
Freshinjection
reflexes
Depressed
Poorcoordination
o
.
.
o
.
.
.
stateof euphoria
Short-lived
Respiratorydepression
Reducedvision
followedby sleep
Drowsiness
Reliefof pain
Constipation
Addiction
includeextrememoodswings,poorconcentration,
of heroinaddiction
Symptoms
andsecretive
behavior.Heroincan
lackof sexualdesire,depression
moneyproblems,
veins,bacterial
infections,
liverdisease,kidney
alsocausescarredand/orcollapsed
delivery.
and premature
changesin the brain,miscarriage
disease,neurochemical
for heroin.
is methadone,
a substitute
for heroinaddiction
Onepopularformof treatment
as heroin
a synthetic
drug,doesnotproducethesame"high"withdrawal
Methadone,
maintenance
reducethe cravingto use. Patientsin methadone
butdoessignificantly
programs
generally
vocational
trainingandeducation.
alsoreceivecounseling,
to relievepain,butalsohavea
Opiatesarea groupof drugswhichare usedmedically
opiatescaneasepain,suppresscoughingand
for abuse.Medically,
highpotential
opiates
Wheninjected,
relievediarrhea.Opiatescan be takenorallyor intravenously.
"rush." Otherinitialeffectsincluderestlessness,
nausea
givethe useran immediate
pupils
become
be
awakened,
very
large
doses,
the
user
cannot
With
vomiting.
and
slows
muchsmallerandthe skinbecomescold,moistand bluishin color. Breathing
rapidlyand
downanddeathmayoccur. Mostopiatesleavethe bloodstream
in the kidneys,liver,lungsandspleen.
concentrate
abortions,
morespontaneous
womenwhoare pregnantexperience
Opiate-dependent
birthsandstillbirths.lnfantsbornto
Cesareansections,premature
breechdeliveries,
mothersoftenexperiencewithdrawalsymptomsfor severalweeksor
opiate-dependent
months,and someof thesechildrendie.
symptomsusuallybegin4 to 6 hoursafteran opiate-dependent
Opiatewithdrawal
cramps,
person'slastdose. Thesymptomsincludeuneasiness,
diarrhea,abdominal
for most
withdrawal
symptoms
chills,sweating,nauseaand runnynose. The negative
and
they
beginto
24 to 72 hoursafterthe lastdose
opiatesare strongestapproximately
anddrug
symptoms
suchas sleeplessness
subsidewithin5 to 7 days. Sometimes
cravingcan lastmonths.
PoppySeeds
Poppyseedsare a commonandflavorfultoppingfor breadsandcakes.Onegramof
of codeine.
poppyseedscontainsup to 33 micrograms
of morphineand 14 micrograms
However,eatinga sliceof poppyseedcakeor a singlepoppyseedroll (G.76gramsof
Abuseand Mental
seeds)will not producea positivedrugtest. In 1998the Substance
usea
laboratories
formerlymandated
thatall drugscreening
HealthAdministration
per milliliter
to producea positiveurinedrugtest.
standardcutoffof 2000nanograms
Pain SufferersStruqqleto Get Medicineas StatesEnactOpioid Restrictions
designedto clampdownon
As a growingnumberof statesenactrestrictions
pain
prescription
suffererssay theyare notableto get the opioids
drugabuse,some
they need,the WallStreetJournalreportsin an October2012story.
for opioidsin reactionto statelaws
Somedoctorshavestoppedwritingprescriptions
liablefor writingprescriptions
for painkillers
thatleadto
criminally
thatmakephysicians
"pill
pain
of
clinicshaneforced mills"to close,
overdoses.In somestates,regulation
withfewerprescribers.
leavingpeoplewho needpainmedication
whichhelpsstates
Alliancefor ModelDrugLaws,a nonprofit
Lastmonththe National
drugabuse,metto talk abouthowto balancethe
createlawsto preventprescription
patients'accessto needed
withmaintaining
fightagainstimproperopioidprescribing,
painmedications.
2fJ12 Kansas Gommunities that Gare
Data for 6th-{2th Grade Students in Riley Gounty
AveraqeAqe of Onset:
Firstsmokedtobacco
Firstdrinkof alcohol
Firstsmokedmarijuana
12.5yearsold
12.6yearsold
13.8yearsold
34%of studentshavesmokedcigarettes
23Tohaveusedsmokelesstobacco
66%haveusedalcohol
34o/o
haveusedmarijuana.
According
to thestudents,
99o/o
of theirparentsfeelthatanyuseof cigarettes
or
marijuana
is wrongor verywrong. In the pastyear,40%of studentsreportednot
talkingwitha parentaboutthedangersof alcohor,
tobaccoor druguse.
The KansasCommunitiesthat Care StudentSurveywas givento Rileycountystudentsin the 6th,8'h,10'hand 12rh
grades. Surveyresultsprovidedby the RegionalPreventionCenter,a programof the CentralKansasFoundation.
RESOURCES
KSU Counseling Services
English/CounselingServicesBldg.
Phone:532-6927
KSUAlcohol & OtherDrug
Education Service
Director: Bill Arck
214 English/CounselingServicesBldg.
Phone: 532-6927
AlcoholicsAnonymous
Noon Meeting (Mon.-Sat.)
Blue Valley United Methodist Church
835 ChurchAve.
Phone: 537-9260
Alcohol and Other Drug Education Service
214 EnglisUCounseling ServicesBldg.
Kansas State University
Manhattan,KS 66506-6503
(78s)s32-6927
The intent ofHigher Education is to provide
accurate, timely information representing the
cnrent state ofalcohol/drug knowledge. Keep in
mind that research on these matters continues daily
and is subject to change. It is our intention to keep
you.informed, not to diagnose or treat illness. For
personal alcohol and other drug problems, please
consult your physician or counselor
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