Although the existence of opium dens is almost nonexistent when compared to the Victorian age, the use of opiates still exists. A study conducted in 2001 by the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse revealed that roughly 1.4 percent of Americans older than 12 had used heroin, which is one of many types of opiates. Most opiates used today have the same effects as those of regular opium but have been altered to produce much stronger effects.
Short-term Effects
Most people use opium for the short-term effects it causes in the body. The time from consumption to the first felt effects of the drug vary largely on how the drug was introduced into the body. If injected directly into the bloodstream, a user might feel the first effects within seconds, while those who obtained the drug through smoking it might have to wait up to 15 minutes for a reaction. The first effect opium causes is a feeling of rush comparable to euphoria, or extreme happiness. Soon after, a sense of warmth usually takes over in the body. Most users experience a sense of heaviness in their extremities and dryness of the mouth. In the four hours opium affects the body, varying states of alertness and drowsiness take place. In these hours, it is common for users to experience a state of relaxation and freedom. Because of the effects of opium on the central nervous system, the body's mental function usually deteriorates. Some other short-term effects of opium abuse include nausea, slowed breathing, constricted pupils, coma and overdose.
Long-term Effects
The long-term effects of opium abuse sometimes depend on the method by which you consume it. Those who inject the drug into their bloodstream develop collapsed veins and increase their risk of infecting their heart valves and lining tremendously. Intramuscular consumers frequently develop abscesses, among other problems, and those who smoke or eat the drug can expect to quickly deteriorate a large number of vital organs. No matter how the opiates are consumed, it is the liver and kidneys that receive the most damage, but your brain and lungs are also at a high risk for developing severe conditions as a result of long-term use. After your body gets used to the drug, quitting the drug becomes much harder, as your body can start craving for more opium hours after your last dose. If you don't get more opium quickly, your body starts craving the drug, you become restless and cold, and you start feeling physical pain. These symptoms are at their worst after two to three days and almost ensure that you go back to using the drug.
Tolerance, Dependence and Addiction
As with any drug, when someone has been using opium for an extended period of time, they build tolerance and start to require higher doses to achieve similar feelings they first had when they started using the substance. Long-time users commonly start to either take larger or more frequent doses in search of the euphoric effect they seek. This habit can quickly develop into dependence, a state where your body craves the drug. People who are dependent on a substance have a psychological, as well as a physical need for a drug. People who take larger doses frequently die as a result of overdoses and disregard for basic necessities.
