Introduction
Thomas C. Rowe in Federal Narcotics Laws and the War on Drugs, 2013
Furthermore, we face a contradiction in terms. A dictionary definition of narcotic is “Any drug that induces profound sleep, lethargy, and relief of pain: it is usually an opiate.” The tertiary definition is “Anything that causes drowsiness, lethargy, etc.” Yet federal regulations classify opiates (including natural ones such as morphine, semisynthetics such as heroin, and synthetics such as fentanyls) and cocaine as narcotics. Originally, marijuana also was included in this category. Cocaine is a powerful stimulant; it could hardly be described as meeting the dictionary definition. Marijuana in large amounts might meet the definition, but it takes some effort to stretch it that far. Hence, by definition, the government classified together drugs that are radically different from each other in both effects and dangers. Medically or biologically speaking, only the opiate group should be classified as narcotics. Fortunately, the government stopped labeling marijuana a narcotic with the passage of the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970, but cocaine is still listed as a narcotic substance.
ENTRIES A–Z
Philip Winn in Dictionary of Biological Psychology, 2003
(from Greek, narke: sleep, numbness) A group of compounds, derived from OPIUM or synthesized, with similar structure and pharmacological actions. Narcotics are also known as NARCOTIC ANALGESICS or OPIATES. This term was originally meant to distinguish narcotic analgesics, drugs which relieve PAIN and cause sleepiness, from non-narcotic analgesics such as aspirin. However, the term is somewhat misleading since many lay people and law-enforcement officials refer to all illegal drugs as narcotics. In medical and scientific literature, the term narcotic refers only to opiates. Narcotics have many physiological and subjective effects; they cause a feeling of well-being, relaxation and drowsiness, cause respiratory depression and constriction of the pupils, and are potent analgesics. Narcotics have a high ABUSE POTENTIAL. Examples of narcotics are MORPHINE, HEROIN, CODEINE, METHADONE and FENTANYL.
Challenges to the implementation of the international drug control system 1
Daniel Wisehart in Drug Control and International Law, 2018
The motivation for the growing emphasis of drug control’s institutions on enhancing availability possibly stems outside of the norms and provisions of the UN Drug Conventions.72 According a priority to the availability of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances for medical purposes also derives from the right to the highest attainable standard of health (Art. 12 (1) ICESCR (International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights)).73 In accordance with CESCR (Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights) General Comment No. 14 on the Right to the Highest Attainable Standard of Health, this standard comprises an imperative to provide for essential drugs, as from time to time defined under the WHO Action Programme on Essential Drugs,74 which regularly updates a Model List of Essential Medicines.75 This list contains narcotic drugs – such as morphine – and psychotropic substances – such as diazepam.76 The need for States to provide for substances – including narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances – contained in these lists, is considered by the CERSC as a ‘core obligation’ that cannot be deviated from even by States with low economic resources.77
Effect of fentanyl and vitamin B12 on abdominal pain in patients addicted to oral opium: A clinical trial
Published in Journal of Substance Use, 2019
Narges Sherkatbazazan, Mehdi Torabi, Shiva Moeinaddini, Milad Ahmadi Gohari
Fentanyl is a narcotic used to control pain. It has a rapid onset of minutes and few side-effects, It is used in the emergency departments because it is safe, economical and provides relief to patients (Friesgaard et al., 2016; Torabi, Mehri, & Mirzaei, 2018). Moreover, it is prescribed in various forms (Lebon, Bégin, Fleet, & Tanguay, 2016). However, in order to produce an ongoing analgesic effect, it is necessary to administer the drug as a regular intravenous bolus or by intravenous infusion, which increases the likelihood of side effects (Kabara, Kagawa, Ikejima, Takatsuji, & Sueda, 2015). Its analgesic effect can be used in addition to other analgesic drugs (Davis et al., 2017; Sen, Rajan, Balachandran, Kumar, & Nair, 2017). The current study shows that a combination of fentanyl and vitamin B12 can provide continuous pain control and reduce pain in patients addicted to oral opium while pain control with fentanyl alone only provides temporary pain relief. This suggests that the addition of B12 as an auxiliary drug has a synergic effect on controlling pain and could be used as an auxiliary drug to pain control.
2019–2020 Southern Illinois University National Health Law Moot Court Competition
Published in Journal of Legal Medicine, 2021
In response, the defendants point out that their products are regulated and approved by the FDA and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).3 The FDA closely monitors the promotion and marketing of prescription drugs to ensure that drug companies do not make fraudulent claims or promote off-marketing uses of their products. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services & Food and Drug Administration et al., Guidance for Industry: Oversight of Clinical Investigations—A Risk-Based Approach to Monitoring 1, 5 (2013), available at https://www.fda.gov/media/116754/download. In the case of narcotic drugs such as those involved here, the DEA regulates manufacturers, distributors, and retail sellers to ensure that these drugs are used for proper medical purposes. Id. The defendants maintain that they have fully complied with all FDA and DEA regulations and that their marketing activities were consistent with industry practice. They also point out that even if the State’s allegations regarding the defendants’ marketing practices are true, the State has not identified any particular doctor who was misled into prescribing any of the defendants’ opioid drugs.
Effects of Preoperative Pregabalin On Postoperative Pain Control in Total Knee Arthroplasty Surgery
Published in Journal of Investigative Surgery, 2021
Mutlu Akdoğan, Gülten Ütebey, Halis Atıl Atilla, Alper Öztürk, Mehmet Faruk Çatma
All patients received the same postoperative treatment through a patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) delivery system (Abbott Laboratories, Chicago, IL, USA). PCA allows patients to self-administer additional pain killers in predetermined doses for reducing their pain. Accordingly, the patients received 5 mg/hour intravenous tramadol infusion with a bolus dose of 10 mg and a lockout time of 20 minutes for 48 hours. The frequency of pushing to the button of the PCA system and the total amount of tramadol used via the PCA system were recorded. As an antibiotic prophylaxis, 1 g cefazolin sodium was administered intravenously every 8 hours starting 30 minutes prior to the operation and terminated at the 24th hour. As rescue analgesia, the patients received 50 mg dexketoprofen trometamol intravenously twice daily. For nausea and vomiting, 20 mg metoclopramide was administered intravenously at most three times a day. Side effects of narcotic analgesics were recorded.