9781422279649

Drug Abuse and Addiction 9

more energetic, while others produce a feeling of deep relax- ation. A person’s brain cells respond to the drugs their body is taking. (The brain also responds to the hormones and chemi- cals that the body produces naturally.) Over time, and with repeated exposure, the drugs interfere with the way the brain works. The neurotransmitters move through the brain. These spe- cial chemicals are made to have a particular effect on the brain once they reach specific cell surfaces called receptor proteins. Each one of the receptor proteins is formed in a way so that it recognizes a specific neurotransmitter. The two of them fit together, much in the same way that a charger for a digital What Are Opioids O piates are the name for a variety of drugs derived from the opium poppy. Examples of opiates include opium, morphine, heroin, and codeine. They can be used to relieve moderate-to-severe pain. Natural opiates have been used as pain relievers for thousands of years. Hippocrates, who is called “the father of medicine,” was familiar with the pain-relieving properties of the opium poppy. He wrote about drinking a combination of white poppy juice and nettle seeds to treat a number of conditions, including internal discomforts and concerns of women. Opiates were appreciated for their sedative qualities, too. Ancient Greeks, Romans, and Arabs used them for this purpose. Opioids are medicines that have a similar painkilling effect as opi- ates, but they are created in laboratories. These drugs are sold under brand names such as Vicodin, OxyContin, or Dilaudid.