Natural Remedies

Question 1

Salicin

Answer 1

Acts like aspirin, good for pain relief, gout and osteoarthritis
Comes from Bark of white willow
Widespread on river banks
Warm and humid environment
Native to Europe and west/Central Asia
Survives in pH 5.5- 8.0
6- 18 C and precipitation of 500- 800mm

Question 2

Quinine

Answer 2

Kills malarial parasites in red blood cells
Dried bark of cinchonas evergreen tree
Tropical Andean forests of western South America
Cool, humid mountainous conditions at elevations of 1200-3000m
Soils with abundant organic matter and good moisture- holding capacity + pH 5.5- 6.5
No frost

Question 3

Colchicine

Answer 3

Used in treatment of cancer and gout
Autumn crocus
Warm Mediterranean climate
Native to woodland and alpine tundra in central and southern Europe, North America and Middle East
Deep- well drained soils needed with pH 6.5 and good moisture retention
Temperatures 10- 22C
Precipitation 350- 700mm

Question 4

What is opium

Answer 4

It is latex produced in the seed pods of the opium poppy
Scientific name- papaver somniferum

Question 5

Composition of opium

Answer 5

Alkaloids contain basic nitrogen and known as opiates that include morphine, codeine and thebaine. All but thebaine are used as analgesics for pain relief without loss of consciousness
Somniferum is sleep- bringing referring to sedative properties of the plant

Question 6

How opium is produced

Answer 6

Seedpod is cut with a multi- bladed tool, then opium ‘gum’ ooze out then the semi dried gum is harvested with a curved spatula and then dried in wooden boxes. Then opium resin is rolled into balls for sale

Question 7

Use of Morphine from opium poppy

Answer 7

It is an alkaloid in opium poppy.
Raw opium contains 8- 14% morphine
It may be used directly or chemically modified to produce synthetic opioids such as heroin

Question 8

Growing conditions of opium poppy

Answer 8

Dry warm climates
Vast majority grows in a narrow 4,500 mile stretch of mountains across Central Asia from turkey through Pakistan and Burma
Native to southeast Europe and Western Asia
Best temperature 30- 38C
Long day photo responsive plant, so a lot of sunlight needed
Precipitation 150- 300mm per year
Can grow in a variety of soils eg clay and sandy loam but best soil is sandy loam soil
PH 6- 7.5

Question 9

Where opium is produced legally

Answer 9

India
Turkey
Australia

Question 10

How much opium is produced annually

Answer 10

2000 tons

Question 11

Opium production in Australia

Answer 11

Generates $120m annually
Only Tasmania produces opium
49% of world’s legal supply

Question 12

Where is opium grown illegally

Answer 12

Burma
Afghanistan
Colombia

Question 13

Opium production in Afghanistan

Answer 13

In 2010 groups in Afghanistan produced 90% of the worlds illegal opium using clandestine labs hidden in the country’s topography
2016 area under opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan increased by 10% which increased production from 3,300 to 4,800 tonnes

Question 14

2 most significant modern day medical uses of the opium poppy

Answer 14

Morphine- extracted from opium resin. Most effective in relief of severe pain, particularly pain which is associated with cancer- related pain symptoms. Acts as a standard against which pain killers are measured

Codeine- extracted from opium, prescribed as relief of moderate pain and cough suppression. Psychoactive and habit forming

Question 15

Top consumers of morphine

Answer 15

Austria
Canada
Denmark
USA

Question 16

How illegal trade can be stoped

Answer 16

Reduction of rural poverty through sustainable natural resource management eg nuts and fruits will bring a lot of profit to farmers
However, farmers who have switched to traditional crops say that prices have fallen

legalise opium production for medical purposes (will also eliminate shortage of painkillers in developing countries)
However, corruption and increase in illicit opium production. There’s surplus of legal opium + price on legal opium is three limes lower than on illicit opium

Destruction of opium crops.
Taliban gets more than $100 million from taxing opium farmers. 2012 poppy eradication campaign- 102 afghan solders and civilians dies from attacks by drug traffickers and Taliban insurgents. Takes away incomes

Question 17

How many households are dependent on production of growing illicit drug crops

Answer 17

191,500 rural households depend on the growing of illicit drug crops. But only 30% had received some form of agricultural assistance (seeds, fertilisers and irrigation) according to UNODC

Question 18

Strategies to reduce opium consumption

Answer 18

Educating youth. Longer initiation into drug can be delayed, less likely to begin of if it does, wont become an addiction

Media campaigns are not effective. Highlight side effects of using drugs and specific practices such as injecting drugs. Drugs are glamorised eg heroine chic

Treatment and rehabilitation- counselling, guidance, motivation, social integration.

Criminalisation of opium abuse. From 1920 many ACs criminalised production, trade, possession and sale of drugs. However it just increased underground economy

Question 19

How many drugs have components which are coming from nature

Answer 19

50% of prescription drugs are based on a molecule that naturally occurs in plants

Question 20

Estimated worth of internal trade in medicinal plants

Answer 20

$60 billion per year

Question 21

How many people in developing world rely on traditional medicines + china

Answer 21

80%
Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) 30- 50% of total medicine consumption in China, 90% in rural areas

Question 22

Ratio of traditional healers to population and ration of doctors to population in sub- Saharan Africa

Answer 22

Ratio of traditional healers to the population ratio 1:500
Medical doctors to population ratio 1:40,000

Question 23

Harvest of medicinal and aromatic plants in Nepal

Answer 23

20,000 tons worth $18- 20 million are traded every year
90% are harvested in uncontrolled fashion which can lead to extinction of several species

Question 24

How over- harvesting affects genetic diversity

Answer 24

Erosion of genetic diversity occurs due to over- harvesting—> reduce population size—> extinction

Question 25

Which plants are the most vulnerable due to over- harvesting

Answer 25

Slow- growing

Question 26

How many plants are threatened and endangered due to over- harvesting

Answer 26

4000 plants species are threatened and 14 are listed as endangered by the CITES, these plants include yew which contain taxol (anti- cancer drug)