Abstract: Aims: To evaluate the prevalence of opium use in the Fars province, Iran. Method: A household survey of a representative sample of 3840 people aged 15 years and over. Researchers assessed opium use disorders using a semistructured interview and the Research Version of the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I, during 2003. Results: Mean age of the sample was 33.9 years (SD = 15). Of the participants, 689 (17.9%) admitted use of opium one or more times during their lives (28.4% of men and 7.4% of women). Three hundred thirty-nine (8.8%) were current opium users (14.3% of men and 3.3% of women). Opium ever-use and current-use were not functions of marital status. Both opium ever-use and current-use are found across the educational, occupational and income spectrums. Both peaked in the 40–49 age category, suggesting that first use usually occurs before 40 years of age and that current use extends across all age groups. Conclusion: Men are at greater risk than women. This report provides useful info...

Abstract: A pot experiment was conducted during 2004–2005 on opium poppy (Papaver somniferum L.) and the influence of 10−6 M gibberellic acid (GA3) and 10−6 M triacontanol (TRIA) either alone or together, on...

Abstract: List of abbreviations Glossary of terms Acknowledgements Prologue 1. Introduction 2. Scorpion tales 3. A nation in anguish 4. Opium cultivators 5. Heroin producers and traffickers 6. Outlaws and warlords 7. Drug use in Afghanistan's history 8. Neighbours and refugees 9. A tale of two opiums 10. Hashish and hakims 11. Pharmaceuticals and chemical cocktails 12. Masters of the universe: other drugs and future dimensions 13. Scorpion tails Postscript Notes Index.

Abstract: Afghanistan, which could be slipping back into chaos, must turn the tables on the opium crisis. The international community should establish a pilot project and investigate a licensing scheme to legalize the production of medicines such as morphine and codeine from poppy crops to help it escape.

Abstract: Body packers are people who illegally carry drugs, mostly cocaine as well as opium and/or heroin, concealed within their bodies. The packets are inserted in the mouth, rectum, or vagina in order to get across borders without being detected. In this presentation we report a case of an opium body packer and review the available scientific literature by focusing on mechanisms of toxicity and treatment approach.The patient was a 35-year-old man who had lethargy, respiratory depression, tachycardia, normal blood pressure, hyperthermia, and pinpoint pupils on presentation. No past medical history was obtained and the only positive history was his travel from Afghanistan 2 days earlier, which he had given to emergency personnel before arriving at our hospital. Complete blood cells and kidney and liver tests were all in normal range. In the emergency department, the patient was treated with oxygen, naloxone, and hypertonic glucose. One dose of activated charcoal (1 g/kg) was administered orally. After int...

Abstract: The differentiation between legal and illegal opiate product use through the detection of marker compounds in urine is one of the most important subjects in forensic toxicology. Thebaine, an opium alkaloid, can be detected by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and has been suggested as a good marker of poppy seed use in differentiation from that of illicit heroin. In the present study, thebaine was targeted as a urinary marker of opium use because it is a major constituent of opium. Although thebaine lacks the conventional functional group, it was found to form a trimethylsilyl (TMS) derivative. This has made it possible to simultaneously detect thebaine together with morphine and codeine in the same urine sample to confirm opium use, thus saving time and cost of analysis while using less material. The TMS derivatization was found to enhance the stability and chromatographic properties of thebaine and to increase the sensitivity of its detection about 50-fold in comparison with that of the underivatized compound. Using the present method, thebaine was analyzed for a number of actual urine samples obtained from users of opium, illicit heroin, or codeine preparation. The results showed that thebaine is a useful opium-use marker subject to its oral administration.

Abstract: BACKGROUND:Sphincter of Oddi dysfunction (SOD) refers to an abnormality of SO contractility. It is a benign, non-calculus obstruction to the flow of bile or pancreatic juice through the pancreaticobiliary junction. Although morphine can cause an excitatory effect on SO motility, there are no comprehensive data about opium as a risk factor in inducing SOD in chronic opium abusers. The aim of the study was to assess potential risk factors, especially opium addiction (OA), in patients with SOD. MATERIAL/METHODS:In a case-control study, opium addiction, cigarette smoking, cholecystectomy, and periampullary diverticulum in patients with SOD were recorded and compared with healthy subjects. SOD was diagnosed by the Geenen-Hogan classification (type I). RESULTS:OA (p=0.001) and cholecystectomy (p<0.001) were two independent risk factors in patients with SOD. CONCLUSIONS:Chronic use of opiates by the oral or inhalational route may induce SOD, but whether chronic use of other morphine derivatives or i.v. drug abuse induce this disorder is not clear and needs further evaluation.

Abstract: Background: Fertility is considered as a life conservative phenomenon among married couples which can be obliterated by various conditions affecting both males and females. In the other hand addiction is a problem which increasingly developed among the various populations throughout the world, and there are evidences that addiction may affect the hypothalamous-pituitary-gonadal axis and sexual functions.The precise pharmacological effects of chronic use of opium on serum level of gonadotropins and male sex hormones are not studied extensively. This study was conducted to investigate the changes in these parameters in opium addicted men. Materials and Methods: The blood samples from 46 opium addicts and 46 normal men were taken, and the testosterone, LH and FSH levels in serum were measured by radioimmunoassay (RIA) technique using a LKB gamma counter. Results: The result of this study showed that the serum testosterone in opium addicts were decreased significantly compared to the controls (p<0.01). This reduction was directly proportional to the duration of opium usage. The LH and FSH level in opium addicts showed also significant reduction compared to the controls (p<0.01and p<0.05 respectively). Conclusion: According to our findings the chronic use of opium can cause significant decrease in the functions of hypophysiol gonadal secretion which may led to sexual suppression and infertility which needs further investigations.

Abstract: Introduction J.H.Mills & P. Barton PART 1: CONSUMPTION China, British imperialism and the myth of the 'Opium Plague' F.Dikotter , L.Laamann & X.Zhou Developing Habits: Opium and Tobacco in the Indonesian Archipelago, c. 1619-c. 1794 G.B.Souza Early British encounters with the Indian opium eater R.Newman 'Cannot we induce the people of England to eat opium?' The moral economy of opium in colonial India J.F.Richards PART 2: CONTROL Opium and the Trading World of Western India in the Early Nineteenth Century A.Farooqui Dangerous Drinks and the Colonial State: 'Illicit' Gin Prohibition and Control in Colonial Nigeria C.J.Korieh Empire and Excise: Drugs and drink revenue and the fate of states in south Asia M.J.Gilbert Powders, Potions and Tablets: The 'quinine fraud' in British India, 1890 to 1939 P.Barton PART 3: 'HIGH' POLITICS Colonial Africa and the international politics of cannabis: Egypt, South Africa and the origins of global control J.H.Mills 'A grave danger to the peace of the East': Opium and Imperial Rivalry in China, 1895-1920 W.O.Walker III 'Wolf by the Ears': The Dilemmas of Imperial Opium Policymaking in the 20th Century W.B.McAllister The Trade-Off: Chinese Opium Traders and Antebellum Reform in the United States, 1815-1860 K.Gray

Abstract: American surgeon J. Marion Sims (1813-83) is regarded by many modern authors as a controversial figure because he carried out a series of experimental surgeries on enslaved African American women between 1846 and 1849 in an attempt to cure them of vesicovaginal fistulas, which they had all developed as a result of prolonged obstructed labor. He operated on one woman, Anarcha Westcott, thirty times before he successfully closed her fistula. Sims performed these fistula repair operations without benefit of anesthesia but gave these women substantial doses of opium afterwards. Several modern writers have alleged that Sims did this in order to addict them to the drug and thereby to enhance his control over them. This article examines the controversy surrounding Sims' use of postoperative opium in these enslaved surgical patients. The evidence suggests that although these women were probably tolerant to the doses of opium that he used, there is no evidence that he deliberately tried to addict them to this drug. Sims' use of postoperative opium appears to have been well supported by the therapeutic practices of his day, and the regimen that he used was enthusiastically supported by many contemporary surgeons.

Abstract: This study examined the effects of Methadone Maintenance Treatment (MMT) on the mental health of opium and heroin addicts. Participants included 60 Iranian heroin and opium addicts (equal sample size from each group) whose age ranged from 18 to 45 years. In the pretest stage, the participants’ mental health was assessed using the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ; Goldberg, 1972). Then, for six months, participants received MMT and their mental health was assessed once a month using GHQ. The results of repeated measures and t-test showed an improvement in the mental health of participants. This improvement began from the first month of treatment and continued over the six month period of treatment.

Abstract: Byline: Saddichha. Sahoo, N. Manjunatha, Baxi. Sinha, C.R.J. Khess The Problem Different forms of alcohol have been used in various human societies at least since the beginning of recorded history. As part of the contemporary dynamic of globalization, there has also been an increased use of drugs, which has now reached mammoth proportions. The use of both licit drugs such as alcohol and tobacco and illicit drugs such as cannabis, cocaine and opioids has been acknowledged to have multiple consequences to health, society and economy. According to estimates made by the World Health Report,[sup] [1] at least ten thousand million people throughout the world regularly use alcohol and about 13.5 million people use opioids. In India too, the problem is slowly increasing and it is estimated that 75 million people are alcohol users and nearly three million are opioid users, of which a majority require medical treatment and rehabilitation.[sup] [2] A number of other psychoactive substances are being added daily to the present list of psychotropic substances. The entire issue is complex and multifaceted requiring both health measures and efforts to control trafficking / smuggling and manufacture of these drugs. There is a need for the reduction in the demand of drugs of addiction, both legal and illegal, which may otherwise lead to numerous health, family and societal consequences. To combat this, the Government of India formulated the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985,[sup] [3] which provides the current framework for drug abuse control and sale in this country. Essentially, the Act deals with supply reduction activities of psychotropic substances namely, cannabis, cocaine and opium. However, the absence of alcohol in the list of psychotropic substances is surprising given the fact that mental health professionals consider alcohol to be a psychoactive substance leading to various social, legal, economic and medical complications ranging from gastritis to withdrawal seizures and delirium tremens.[sup] [4] The Reasons The reasons for not including alcohol in the NDPS Act are many, the important ones being (a) prevailing social acceptance even for frequent self-induced intoxication;[sup] [5] (b) the high revenues earned by the Government on the sale of alcoholic beverages; (c) prevalence of illicit and locally brewed undistilled forms of alcohol is very high in society and (d) there may be differences in the clinical course of alcohol dependence contrary to other drugs like opium which have been included in NDPS. The last reason is what can be corrected through systematic clinical studies, which have not been conducted until now. The Solution Our study We therefore aimed at evaluating the reasons for inclusion of opium and exclusion of alcohol from NDPS by comparing and contrasting the course of dependence for both substances. We recruited consecutively admitted patients of ≥18 years of age for treatment of dependence in our Centre for Addiction Psychiatry, Central Institute of Psychiatry, Ranchi, India with International Classification of Diseases-10-Diagnostic criteria for research (ICD-10-DCR) diagnosis of alcohol dependence syndrome or opioid dependence syndrome and obtained their written informed consent. We excluded other comorbid psychiatric disorders, substance dependence or general medical conditions requiring additional treatment. We administered the SSAGA-II[sup] [6] (Semi-Structured Assessment for the Genetics of Alcoholism-II) test to all our subjects after detoxification. SSAGA II is a poly-diagnostic instrument, which was designed to assess the physical, psychological and social manifestations (in other words, in terms of the criteria of ICD-10-DCR dependence). After the interview, data was transferred to the ICD-10 tally sheets of the respective alcohol or opioid sections of SSAGA-II. We considered the earliest age of any items of respective criteria of ICD-10-DCR dependence which was taken as the age of first onset of respective criteria of dependence. …

Abstract: Introduction : Drug addiction and drug dependency are major problem in the “mental”,”social”, and “health-care” fields. It decreases occupational performance and educational abilities in different social groups, and may lead to miscellaneous crimes. Different methods are recommended for drug addiction treatments. Detoxification is the first step however it would not be successful without follow up and vigorous maintenance therapy. Naltrexone introduced as an opium antagonist to decrease desire for opiates and is used for maintenance therapy of drug treatments in Kermanshah Rehabilitation and Therapy Center since 2001. This study aimed to determine the relapse rates of drug addict patients under maintenance therapy by Naltrexone after 18 months follow up. Materials & Methods : 150 drug addicts who were admitted in Kermanshah Rehabilitation and Therapy Center were recruited flowing detoxification period. They received Naltrexone maintenance therapy for six months and followed for 12 months to find out their drug addiction relapse. Opium test (T.L.C) were measured monthly during six months and followed with three-month intervals for next 12 months. Results: Relapse rate in the maintenance therapy period were 56.7% and 4.7% respectively. The achievement rate was 38.7%. Socio-demographic findings showed that relapse rate were highest in young adults (18-25 years old) and lowest in employed subject. According to the drug type, consumption method and interval; heroin users, drug inhalation and 2-3 times daily users showed more achievements than other drug addicts. Conclusion: We conclude that the first nine months after detoxification is more critical period, Naltrexone maintenance therapy, helps to long lasting give up drug addiction. The employees and subjects with well social discipline and educational background have more chance to stop opium abuse.

Abstract: Although India is a major supplier of licit (i.e., legally grown) opium, it is also a leading producer of illicit (i.e., illegally grown) opium. To learn who might be involved in both types of production, the researchers interviewed 50 licensed opium farmers in Madhya Pradesh. Those interviews covered, among other aspects, farmers’ opium use, community attitudes towards addiction and trafficking, and knowledge of government-set opium prices and regulations. In general, some of those interviewed outlined both informal social controls and shunning, used against rural addicts, and support, even if grudgingly given, for government regulation. Those same interviews, however, revealed evidence of important social/economic changes that are undercutting the limited efficacy of extant formal controls in curtailing opium use, addiction, and trafficking.

Abstract: The analysis of the genotype × environmental interaction, which indicates the stability of genotypes, has always been part of plant breeding programmes before the release of varieties for commercial cultivation. In the present investigation the stability of seed yield, opium yield and morphine content in 11 advanced breeding lines of opium poppy was evaluated over five years. Combined ANOVA showed that both the main effects and interactions were significant, indicating the presence of genotype × environment interactions. The average seed yield and opium yield ranged from 10.41–16.92 q/ha and 45.21–59.85 kg/ha, respectively. Stability analysis involving the parameters bi, S 2 di, λi, s 2 , δ 2 , Wi, r 2 and CV identified four genotypes (BR330, BR333, BR229 and BR243) as ideal and stable for the traits studied. The level of association among different parameters obtained using Spearman’s rank correlation showed that Eberhart and Russell’s deviation from regression (S 2 di) was significantly and positively a...