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Author: Admin | 2025-04-28
| Last Updated: 11/12/18 | 5 sources The word “narcotic” comes from a Greek word that means “to make numb.” During the past century, it’s been used in various contexts by health professionals, law enforcement and the public. Today, “narcotic” is most commonly used to refer to opiates and opioids.Opiates are drugs that occur naturally in the opium plant. The term “opioid” can be used to refer to opiates and other man-made drugs that are similar in chemical structure to opiates but may or may not contain any part of the opium poppy. These drugs include morphine, heroin, hydrocodone and fentanyl. Effects of opioids include numbness, drowsiness and stupor.Depending on the source, narcotics have been defined as: Any drug that causes drowsiness or numbness Any substance derived from opium Any controlled substanceA controlled substance is a drug regulated by the government. Confusion regarding the definition of “narcotic” may stem from different legal definitions of the term. American law enforcement agencies enforce local, state and federal laws which may define narcotic in different ways. These definitions may also differ from international definitions.Federal & International Definitions of NarcoticThe United States government classifies only opioids and cocaine as narcotics. It also defines a narcotic treatment program as any program that provides medical detox or therapy for narcotic use. But the term “narcotic treatment program” may be misleading.Narcotic treatment programs are commonly referred to as opioid treatment programs (OTPs). These programs primarily use methadone maintenance therapy, which isn’t effective for people addicted to cocaine.The United Nations defines a narcotic drug as any drug listed in Schedules I and II of the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, a 1961 treaty established to fight drug trafficking and abuse. Schedule I and II drugs include cannabis, opioids, cocaine, PCP and several other drugs. The U.N. also defines a narcotic analgesic as a medicine that causes “stupor, coma or insensibility to pain.”These drug schedules and regulations were passed in the 1960s and 1970s. Today, few people use the term “narcotic” in the context of federal and international law.Is Cocaine a Narcotic?Cocaine is a stimulant, not an opioid. Simulants
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