Misuse and abuse of prescription opioid painkillers such as hydrocodone and oxycodone are significant public health concerns.

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Opioids are pain-reducing drugs, such as heroin, morphine, methadone, and codeine, that can mimic the body's endogenous opioid painkilling system. Because this system reduces pain and can produce euphoria, opioids have a high potential for abuse.

Opioids

Spielman, R. M., Jenkins, W. J., & Lovett, M. D. (2020, April 22). Psychology (2nd ed.). OpenStax. https://openstax.org/books/psychology-2e/pages/1-introduction

OpenStax Psychology (2nd ed.) Textbook

* Heroin
* Morphine
* Methadone
* Codeine
* Opium
* Fentanyl
* Oxycodone
* Vicodin
* Other prescription pain relievers

Examples of Opioids

* Decreased pain
* Pupil constriction
* Decreased gut motility
* Decreased respiratory function

Opioids Effects on the Body

* Pain relief
* Euphoria
* Sleepiness
* High doses can cause death due to respiratory depression

Effects of Opioids when Used

Methadone is a synthetic opioid that produces less euphoria than heroin or similar drugs. It is administered to individuals experiencing opioid withdrawal to make the process less difficult by managing symptoms.

Methadone

Which of the following drugs are often used for pain relief?

Opiates are natural opioids derived from opium, a naturally occurring compound found in the poppy plant.

Opiates

The Opioid Crisis in the United States has had a profound societal impact, affecting countless individuals to the point where many people personally know someone who has died from an overdose. The situation escalated to a critical level, and by 2019, opioid overdoses were responsible for an average of 130 deaths per day in the U.S.

Opioid Crisis

Synthetic opioids are synthetic versions of opiate drugs that are classified as opioids, have very potent painkilling effects, and are often abused.

Synthetic Opioids

Prescription Opioid Painkiller Misuse

Opioid analgesics are opioids that have analgesic properties, meaning they reduce pain.

Opioid Analgesics

Heroin is an opioid drug that has historically been a major drug of abuse.

Heroin as an Opioid Drug of Abuse

Opioid-like compounds can be used medically for purposes beyond pain relief, including in cough suppressant, anti-nausea, and anti-diarrhea medications.

Medical Uses of Opioid-Like Compounds

The body can develop physiological addiction to opioid drugs in less than a week, even when a patient takes the drugs as prescribed.

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