Origin of Opioid Use
Opioids are a class of drug that interact with the opium receptors in the brain. They shut off pain receptors and release dopamine which is the body's "feel good" chemical. For this reason, prescription opioids are used as painkillers. They can be highly effective but also highly addictive which has lead to high levels of overuse and abuse of opioids and is a major cause of the current opioid epidemic.
Opioids come naturally from the opium poppy plant that has been used both for medical and recreational purposes for thousands of years. The plant is used to create both illegal recreational drugs like Opium and Heroin, and legal medicinal drugs like Morphine and Codeine. Recently there has been a rise in synthetic or man made Opioids like Fentanyl and Methadone that are used as legal prescription drugs.
Opioids come naturally from the opium poppy plant that has been used both for medical and recreational purposes for thousands of years. The plant is used to create both illegal recreational drugs like Opium and Heroin, and legal medicinal drugs like Morphine and Codeine. Recently there has been a rise in synthetic or man made Opioids like Fentanyl and Methadone that are used as legal prescription drugs.