Narcotic Drugs

Chemical structure of morphine.

1. The term narcotic is used to refer to opiates and opioids, commonly morphine and heroin and their derivatives, such as hydrocodone.
2. Morphine, sold under many trade names, is a pain medication of the opiate type. It acts directly on the central nervous system to decrease the feeling of pain. It can be used for both acute pain and chronic pain.
3. Heroin is an opioid analgesic synthesized by adding two acetyl groups to the molecule morphine.