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Research Paper On Opium

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Carmen D'Acquisto Intro to Chemical Dependency July 23, 2015 Professor Hauzinger Opium Oh the glorious poppy! There are more than 280 different species of the poppy yet only two produce the opium . The P. Somniferum and the P. Bacteatum. The poppy is an annual with a growth cycle of 120 days. The flowers of the beautiful flower only last about five days unless they are specially cultivated to last . When the flowers on the opium poppies fall to the ground the pod inside will turn a blueish green and have a waxy feel to them. They also have a pointy crown around the top. When the crown spikes upward they are ready for scoring or “tapping”. This is what it is called when the farmer goes to collect the sap. After slicing all around the pod …show more content…

One of the most damaging effects of opium and it's derivatives on the current U.S. Social structure is the success of the Mexican drug cartels in dominating the illegal manufacture and distribution of opiates. In addition, the ten year military conflict in Afghanistan , previously one of the largest opiate producers in the world has had an unintended role in providing high quality opiates to the Western world. A result of an increase of these two factors has been an upswing in opiate and heroin related overdoses and deaths. The most resent evidence of the medical communities understanding of the impact of powerful opiates was the 2012 federal involvement in regulating class 4 narcotics. Doctors and practitioners who prescribed opioids were alarmed by the increase of opioid induced deaths and the number of armed robberies in pharmacies across the country specifically targeting the opioid Oxycontin. Also the increase in the populations of corrections institutions on the municipal, county, state and federal levels. Minimum sentencing in convictions has swelled the populations of these institutions and has been a focus of legislation change as a high priority of the current federal administrations and should be addressed by this years …show more content…

I began smoking three times a day, after breakfast, in the late afternoon, and at night before I went to bed... Now I have good quality opium and smoke about nine pipes every session, so that's about thirty pipes a day... When I was younger, I smoked to stay healthy. Opium was good for my body. Now that I am old, I smoke to give myself pleasure and make myself a little bit stronger. Because I smoke I can do many things, I have much more get-up-and-go. After smoking opium I feel stronger, and I'm in a good mood and like to talk to many people,and I don't get tired. Now I smoke to keep my body ticking over. Iv'e been smoking for thirty years, so if I stopped now I would die.” So as it would seem opium is a very seductive and addictive substance. The allure of the opium den alone seems very inviting and the whole ceremony of smoking along with the beautiful pipes and all. Although from everything I have read I understand the opium dens were by no means glamorous. In fact they were filthy unless they were in the private home of the

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