The Snares of Narcotics

Advances in science and technology enable humans to create synthetic addictive and psychotropic substances with effects equal to natural ones. There are several types of narcotics that have different characteristics.

Kompas/Heru Sri Kumoro

Public information posters are displayed on the walls along a hallway on Monday (5/3) at BNN headquarters in Cawang, Jakarta, pointing to the dangers of using drugs.

Narcotics are a type of pain-relieving drug often abused by users. They were initially used as anesthetic during surgery. However, as time went by, they were taken in large doses to dull the senses and enjoy temporary feelings of ecstasy.

At first, psychoactive substances were sourced from plants. Narcotic chemical compounds in plants are either alkaloids or glycosides. Examples include marijuana leaves, opium and cocaine from the leaves of Erythroxon coco L.