Nicotine

Nicotine is an alkaloid found in the nightshade family of plants (Solaneceae), predominantly in tobacco and in lower quantities in tomato, potato, eggplant (aubergine) and green pepper. (An alkaloid is one of a group of nitrogenous organic compounds that have marked physiological effects on humans.)

Nicotine occurs throughout the tobacco plant and especially in the leaves. Nicotine alkaloids are also found in the leaves of the coca plant. Nicotine constitutes 0.3 to 5% of the tobacco plant by dry weight, with biosynthesis taking place in the roots and accumulating in the leaves.

Nicotine is one of the few liquid alkaloids. In its pure state it is a colorless, odourless liquid with an oily consistency, but when exposed to light or air, it acquires a brown colour and gives off a strong odour of tobacco. Nicotine’s chemical formula is C10H14N2.

Nicotine is the addictive ingredient in the tobacco used in cigarettes, cigars, and snuff. In its psychoactive effects, nicotine is a unique substance with a biphasic effect; when inhaled in short puffs it has a stimulant effect, but when smoked in deep drags it can have a tranquilizing effect. This is why smoking can feel invigorating at some times and can seem to block stressful stimuli at others.

Nicotine is also an addictive drug, though, and smokers characteristically display a strong tendency to relapse after having successfully stopped smoking for a time. When ingested in larger doses, nicotine is a highly toxic poison that causes vomiting and nausea, headaches, stomach pains, and, in severe cases, convulsions, paralysis, and death.

Nicotine is commercially obtained from tobacco scraps and is used as an insecticide and as a veterinary vermifuge. Nitric acid or other oxidizing agents convert it to nicotinic acid, or niacin, which is used as a food supplement.


It is potent neurotoxin with particular specificity to insects; therefore nicotine was widely used as an insecticide in the past and currently nicotine derivatives such as imidacloprid continue to be widely used.

Morphine

Morphine, the principal active agent in opium, is a powerful opioid analgesic drug. Morphine is a narcotic analgesic drug used in medicine in the form of its hydrochloride, sulfate, acetate, and tartrate salts. Morphine was isolated from opium by the German chemist F.W.A. Sertürner in about 1804.

Uses of morphine

In its power to reduce the level of physical distress, morphine is among the most important naturally occurring compounds, being of use in the treatment of pain caused by cancer and in cases where other analgesics have failed.

It also has a calming effect that protects the system against exhaustion in traumatic shock, internal hemorrhage, congestive heart failure, and debilitated conditions (as certain forms of typhoid fever).

It is most frequently administered by injection to ensure rapid action, but it is also effective when given orally.

Morphine is used to treat moderate to severe pain. Short-acting formulations are taken as needed for pain. The extended-release form of this medicine is for around-the-clock treatment of pain. This form of morphine is not for use on an as-needed basis for pain. Morphine is not for treating short-term pain just after surgery unless you were already taking morphine before the surgery.

Side effects

Morphine produces a relaxed, drowsy state and many side effects that result from the depression of the respiratory, circulatory, and gastrointestinal systems. It also is an emetic and a general depressant. The most serious drawback to the drug is its addictiveness. It also decreases hunger, inhibits the cough reflex and produce constipation. Morphine is usually highly addictive and tolerance and physical and psychological dependence develop quickly. Patients on morphine often report insomnia and nightmares.

Morphine, an opium alkaloid, can be converted into heroin, which shows a considerably stronger euphoric effect and is so powerfully addictive that its manufacture is legally prohibited in many countries. Other derivatives of morphine include the analgesics methylmorphine (codeine), ethylmorphine, dihydrocodeinone, and dihydromorphinone and the emetic apomorphine. Morphine is extracted from the dried milky exudate of the unripe seed capsule of the opium poppy (Papaver somniferum). It occurs as colourless crystals or a white crystalline powder.

Drug And Alcohol Abuse

Drug abuse is not harmless. Even short-term use can have long-term effects, and these effects can harm the user and those closest to him or her. The Effects of Alcohol Abuse Abusing alcohol in your teen or young adult years can have a permanent effect on bone development. According to The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, "chronic heavy drinking, particularly during adolescence and the young adult years, can dramatically compromise bone quality and may increase osteoporosis risk…the effects of heavy alcohol use on bone cannot be reversed, even if alcohol consumption is terminated" ("Alcohol and Other Factors Affecting Osteoporosis Risk in Women"). Drinking is also closely related to liver damage and disease, two irreversible medical conditions. Even if you do not experience permanent effects of alcohol abuse first hand, alcohol consumption during pregnancy greatly increases the risk of birth defects. This creates permanent effects on an individual with no choice or power over the situation. Children born with a fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) experience a range of symptoms that may include the following: Abnormal facial features Small head or body size Poor coordination Hyperactivity Learning disabilities Delayed speech Poor judgment skills Vision or hearing problems Heart, kidney or bone problems These effects are permanent and lifelong, and greatly impact a child's quality of life and ability to develop and learn. The Effects of Prescription Drug Abuse Misusing prescription drugs always increases the chance of overdose or harmful drug interactions. These can be fatal or can leave users with permanent organ or cognitive damage. Prescription stimulants like Adderall and Ritalin can permanently damage blood vessels, creating high blood pressure and increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke. The Effects of Recreational Drug Abuse Drugs often mistaken as physically harmless can have serious and permanent side effects. Marijuana has an immediate effect on memory, an effect that is typically short-lived although not without the possibility for academic, personal or professional consequences. And long-term marijuana use can lead to serious and permanent cognitive damage. LSD abuse can lead to permanent issues with anxiety and paranoia, and hallucinogen use may lead to the development of hallucinogen persisting perception disorder (HPPD). HPPD may involve flashbacks, false perceptions or the reoccurrence of other hallucinogen-related perceptual changes long after drug use has ceased. This disorder interrupts daily life and can have a permanent effect on an individual's ability to function, develop relationships or maintain employment