Encyclopedia

narcotic

narcotic, any of a number of substances that have a depressant effect on the nervous system. The chief narcotic drugs are opium, its constituents morphine and codeine, and the morphine derivative heroin.

See also drug addiction and drug abuse.

Sections in this article:

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

More on narcotic from Fact Monster:

  • narcotic: Bibliography - Bibliography See publications of the Drugs & Crime Data Center and Clearinghouse, the Bureau of ...
  • narcotic: Actions and Uses - Actions and Uses In small doses narcotics have valuable medical uses, numbing the senses, relieving ...
  • narcotic: Attempts at Control - Attempts at Control There are strict controls on narcotic prescription and administration in the ...
  • nalorphine - nalorphine nalorphine , derivative of morphine that acts to reverse the effects of morphine and ...
  • codeine - codeine codeine , alkaloid found in opium. It is a narcotic whose effects, though less potent, ...

See more Encyclopedia articles on: Pharmacology