Synthetic Drugs Of Abuse

Synthetic Drugs of Abuse


It seems that primitive man at times wished to escape his reality. He or she

probably found some natural herbal drugs to facilitate this desire. In fact

abuse of the coca leaf and the opium poppy has been occuring the last 3000 years,

and probably longer. The mescaline containing peyote cactus has been abused by

the indians for even longer. They thought it was a gift from god because they

often realised profound truths when they where inebriate(at least, thats what

they thought!).


In the 19. century the structure of mescaline was elucidated. It was also

discovered that the synthesis of N-methyl  mescaline, would increase the drugs

potentcy, when compared to the precursor. The first acceptet semi-synthetic drug

for medical use was heroine. Many semi-synthetic drugs followed. After a longer

period fully synthetic drugs appeared. Among theese where : ephedrine,

amphetamine, methamphetamine, phenylpropanoleamine (appetite suppresant),

nitroglycerine and amylnitrite. Amphetamine, methamphetamine and amylnitrite

were abused for their pleasant pharmacological response. Amphetamine and

methamphetamine was used as a recreational drug, which made the user restless,

euphoric and alert. Amylnitrite produced strong rushes of euphoria. The average

man could not seem to control his/hers use of the drugs, and as a consequence,

all of theese products where put under federal control. They cannot be obtained

legally without a prescription from a doctor. People with an insight in

chemistry and a lack of morale, startet to produce these compunds for their own

financial gains.


The really clever chemists avoided doing anything illegal by creating

pharmacologically-active compunds, which where derived from known illegal drugs.

Not only where they able to produce similar compounds, but many of the new

compunds where much more potent than the original drug. This created the so-

called designer drug phenomenon.  A very common abused drug is a resulat of this

development : MDMA ; or as the ravers prefer to call it, "ecstacy". It is an

amphetamine that produces euphoria, CNS  stimulation and mild hallucinations.

Many of the new drugs were also highly addictive. A couple of years ago cocaine

freebase, better know as "crack", gained popularity. The drug gave the user a

ten minutes long "high". The 
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