Opiates and Opioids

What are Opiates?
Opiates originate from poppy plants and produce both synthetic and natural medications that prove to yield powerful results. Contents within the poppy plant have dominant painkilling capabilities.

What do Opiates do?
Each opiate reacts differently in the body, yielding different effects based on the amount and type of opiate consumed. Opiates have the ability to kill pain and provide the consumer with feelings of euphoria.

How do Opiates work?
Opiates attach to specific proteins in the body known as opioid receptors. The three different types of opioid receptors are named after letters in the Greek alphabet: mu, delta, and kappa. Opioids affect a variety of different places in the nervous system and brain, including the limbic system, the brain-stem, and the spinal cord.

The Different Types of Opiates

• Buprenorphine
• Codeine
• Demerol
• Heroin
• Hydrocodone
• Lorcet
• Methadone
• Morphine
• Naloxone
• Opium
• Oxycontin
• Vicodin
• Vicoprofen

History of Opiates


Opiates have been used both recreationally and medicinally for thousands of years. Originating from the opium poppy, the plant contains an active form of morphine, which is known for its unmatched painkilling abilities. However, morphine can become extremely addictive when used in excess.

The first time morphine was obtained from the opium poppy was in the early nineteenth century as a painkiller used for soldiers during the American Civil War. In 1830, Jean-Pierre Robiquet discovered that codeine, which is now used as a cough remedy, could be synthesized for medical use.

After the British became widely dependent on opium in the 1830s, China’s efforts to defeat opium dependence led Britain to send warships to China, starting the, “First Opium War” in 1839.

In efforts to continue utilizing the medicinal benefits of morphine, chemists attempted to formulate a less addictive form. As a result, heroin was created in 1874, which proved to be even more addictive than morphine.

Despite its addictiveness, medications synthesized through the opium poppy are still used for medicinal purposes around the world.

Statistics about Opiates

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• According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, 1 baby is born each hour suffering from opiate withdrawal.
• The Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported that in 2010, more than 2 million people admitted to consuming painkillers for non-medical purposes.
• The National Institute on Drug Abuse conducted a study that showed that over 4.2 million Americans admitted to trying heroin at least once. Of those 4.2 million Americans, 23% became addicted to the drug.
• The Center for Disease Control and Prevention recently released a study stating that 46 individuals die each day from an overdose of painkillers in the United States.

Opiate Abuse Detox and Rehab

Opiate abuse is one of the most common types of drug addictions. Here at Inspire Malibu, we are experts at safely detoxing people off opiates and treating their dependency problem.