Drug of Abuse

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Abstract

This is a short research project on the opiate methadone. It provides a brief background on the drug, including its history, chemical composition, the abuse of the drug and its effects, as well as its use in the rehabilitation of heroin users. The experience of methadone addicts are also explored using the case of a reformed addict. The exploration of methadone in this study is concise and the purpose is to provide a compact but in-depth picture into the drug. A host of resources were utilized to gather the information provided here and these are listed accordingly in the accompanying resources section.

The Opiate Methadone

Introduction

Opiates are usually any of the narcotic opioid alkaloids that are the natural product of 'papver somniferum' - the opium poppy plant. The term 'opiate' is derived from the word 'opium' as they are produced from the latex sap of the plant. Derived drugs, opiates from poppy plants include morphine, codeine and thebaine. What opiates do primarily is the function of an analgesic or a painkiller as pain perception is decreased via its use which also means that it increases pain tolerance. Side effects include sedation, respiratory depression, constipation and euphoria, the latter being the reason for the popularity of opiates among drug abusers. The subject of this paper is that methadone is not a direct opium product but a synthetic opiod, resulting from chemical synthesis. Methadone was primarily produced in a laboratory as a heroin substitute for the rehabilitation and treatment of heroin addicts as the drug provides the same effects but not the same degree of 'buzz'. As an opiate, it depresses the nervous system and slows down the function of the body to reduce (but not eliminate) physical and psychological pain.

Why Methadone?

My interest in methadone is primarily due to the fact that it is a 'rehabilitation drug' utilized for treatment of heroin. As a synthetic opioid, it means that the production of methadone in laboratories is efficient and exact as chemical synthesis of the drug is easily reproducible, making the drug and its effects reliable. But just because its initial purpose was for the treatment of heroin addiction, primarily because it provides a 'milder' version of the effects of heroin, it is no surprise that methadone is prone to being abused. I wanted to explore this particular drug because of this, to look at its chemical composition, its history of use and the kind of effects addiction can bring upon the lives of those who turn to abuse it. Methadone is not seen as extremely dangerous and, coupled with its reputation as rehabilitative, it is easy for its abusers to ...