Drug Education Library - Narcotics

Narcotics, chemicals originally derived from the opium poppy, are some of the oldest drugs in human history. Valued for their ability to reduce pain and alter perception, narcotics have played roles in medical care and religion for the last 4,000 years. Today, morphine, the active ingredient in opium, and its wide array of synthetic derivatives are still the most powerful pain-killing drugs in the physician's medical chest. Yet, this impressive family of drugs, described by some as "God's Own Medicine" are strongly addictive and have exacted a grim toll on society.