Opiates

Question 1

what does the term ‘narcotics’ refer to and what is its use in history?

Answer 1

• it comes from a Greek word ‘narke’ meaning numbness, sleep or stupor
• naturally occurring opiates are alkaloids of the poppy plant Papaver somniferum
• evidence of the use of opium as far back as 2000BC
• 1520: Paracelsus introduced laudanum as a medical drink containing opium, wine and other spices and the consumption of this drink continued well into the beginning of the 20th century

Question 2

what is the principal form of opiates? and how is it prepared?

Answer 2

• opium
• prepared by drying and powdering the think, a gummy, bitter-tasting brown substance formed from the milky juice taken from the seed capsule
• when it’s smoked its most often heated than burned the smoke that swirls around the room and the user tries to follow it - this is termed CHASING THE DRAGON

Question 3

what are the most important alkaloids in opium?

Answer 3

• 25 active alkaloids but the most important are: morphine, codeine and thebaine

Question 4

Thebaine

Answer 4

• itself is not active but its the source of the opiate derivative oxycodone found in Percodanm Percocet and Oxycotin

Question 5

Serturner

Answer 5

• isolated the principal active ingredient in opium in 1803 and termed it “morphium” after the Greek god of dreams Morpheus
• use of morphine as analgesic improved in 1856 with hollow needles and syringes
• extensive use of morphine during the American civil war and this was the first widespread incidence of opiate addiction - SOLDIERS DISEASE

Question 6

who were most likely to consume opium drinks in the latter part of the 19th century?

Answer 6

• the practice is done by women who were forbidden to drink alcohol and children were given tonics by their mothers to quieten them
• Godfrey’s Cordial, a Pennysworth of Peace and Mrs. Winslow’s Soothing Syrup
• women outnumber male users by 3 to 1

Question 7

anti-drug segment

Answer 7

• the anti-alcohol movement moved towards a more general anti-drug segment
• at this time economic conditions were becoming more difficult bc the economic boom of the Westward expansion was coming to an end and there was a public sentiment started to turn against any practice that was thought to be part of a minority group and were now seen as an economic threat - this led the enactment of the first criminal legislation involving drugs in both Canada and the US
• both the Canadian and US drug legislation has economic and racial prejudice in its origins

Question 8

opium smoking and Chinese immigrants - what did it lead to (Mackenzie King)

Answer 8

• during the economic boom the Chinese immigrants smoking opium weren’t much concern but as the expansion started to decline so did the jobs - racially-based regulations were passed to limit immigration by the Chinese
• Mackenzie King was dispatched by the federal government to check out the situation and at the time he was approached by Chinese businessmen who were looking for compensation for damage to their opium importing and manufacturing business (this surprised King and he suggested that the opium trade be banned)

Question 9

what were the 3 reasons why King wanted to introduce this opium trade ban?

Answer 9

1. the trade violated Christian ideals
2. the Chinese were making huge profits in the trade
3. use was increasing among caucasian men and women
   - the report failed to include discussion of harmful physical effects and provided little evidence that smoking opium was bad for you

Question 10

1908 Opium Act

Answer 10

• made it illegal to import, manufacture or sell opium for nonmedical purposes
• possession or use was not made illegal
• • a bill to ban tobacco was also presented at this time but it didn’t pass

Question 11

1911 Opium Act

Answer 11

• possession was a crime, expanded police powers of search and seizure and made cocaine an illegal substance

Question 12

Emily Murphy/Janey Canuck

Answer 12

• leading the charge in Canada as a female urist
• wrote a book which was entitled “The Black Candle”
• added a call for stricter drug laws along with the RCMP

Question 13

1929 Opium Act

Answer 13

• physicians were required to keep detailed records of all opiates dispensed
• maintenance doses were no longer considered accepted medical practice
• cannabis was included
• Writ of assistance was introduced (open-ended search warrant was given to police officer for life - didn’t have to go through the courts)

Question 14

Harrison Narcotics Act of 1914

Answer 14

• in the US
• didn’t outlaw opiate use - it simply required physicians prescribing opiates to keep a detailed record and pay a small fee
• the courts were pressured by Harry Anslinger ruled out that opiate addiction was not a medical addiction and thus doctors couldn’t prescribe opiates to addicts simply to ward off withdrawal
• • this was the beginning of criminalization of addiction and addicts