abstract | - Narcotics are naturally-occurring or synthetic drugs with psychoactive and highly intoxicating properties. Narcotics are often highly addictive and taking them results in changes in perception, mood, consciousness, cognition, and behavior. During the mid-21st century various Earth militaries controlled their soldiers through the use of drugs which produced a narcotic-like stupor. (TNG: "Encounter at Farpoint" ) Even though trellium-D, a deadly neurotoxin to Vulcans, is not a narcotic, it shares some similarities with narcotics. While gradually degrading the neural pathways of Vulcans, its immediate effects are in removing emotional inhibitions. Over time, use of trellium-D induces insanity and violent rages and the neurological damage becomes irreversible, eventually leading to death. (ENT: "Impulse") T'Pol suffered severe exposure to trellium-D while in an asteroid field and even though Doctor Phlox was able to reverse the neurological damage, T'Pol continued to hunger for the release from the constraints of logic the trellium had allowed. She developed a method of injecting it into her body and became addicted until, with Phlox's help, she successfully withdrew from the substance. However, her ability to control her emotions to a normal Vulcan level was permanently damaged. (ENT: "Damage") In 2254 Vina described the Talosian's addiction to experiencing events in the thought record by comparing it to a narcotic. (TOS: "The Menagerie, Part I" , "The Menagerie, Part II" ) The inhabitants of the failed Federation colony Turkana IV often turned to narcotics as an escape from the great poverty and violence that existed there. Natasha Yar described her knowledge of the effects of narcotic drugs, from experiences she witnessed on her homeworld, to her fellow crewmates, Data and Wesley Crusher in 2364; they did not understand why anyone "would voluntarily become dependent upon a chemical." (TNG: "Symbiosis" ) The Ornarans of planet Ornara suffered from an addiction to the narcotic created by the Brekkians known as felicium circa 2364. (TNG: "Symbiosis" ) In 2373, when the crew of the USS Voyager docked at Bahrat's space station shortly before entering the Nekrit Expanse in the Delta Quadrant, Chakotay and Tom Paris were offered Rhuludian crystals for sale by a trader named Sutok. He explained that ingesting just one of the crystals would make days of tedious travel seem like moments of exquisite rapture. An offer Chakotay and Paris immediately turned down. (VOY: "Fair Trade") During the Occupation, Bajoran slave laborers on Terok Nor often partook of narcotic drugs, referred to as "chemicals". It was apparently common for users to be passed out on the Promenade, and for life-threatening disputes over them to arise. Users were often viewed with disgust by other Bajorans, believing that their undignified behavior justified the stereotypes Cardassians had of Bajorans, and the Resistance refused to smuggle them off the station. (DS9: "Things Past") Cadet-Captain Tim Watters also took narcotics over the course of his self-imposed mission during the Dominion War, in order to deal with the pressure and stress of his duties. As such, many of his actions and command decisions were quite irrational. Also, under the influence of the drugs, appeared to develop the ego-maniacal impression that both he and his crew were "special" and fated to a great destiny. Watters also appeared to develop faith in a higher power guiding his destiny, even broaching the opinion that Jake Sisko was guided to him by it to write his story. The extent to which Watter's actions and beliefs were due to the drugs, stress or his own free choice to avoid returning to the Federation and remain in command was never made clear. (DS9: "Valiant") Ketracel-white, used by the Dominion to control Jem'Hadar soldiers in the 24th century, shared many of the same pharmacological traits as a narcotic. (DS9: "The Abandoned", et al.; Star Trek: Insurrection)
- A narcotic is any one of a number of pain-killing drugs that are derived from opium, a resin produced by the poppy plant, or defined as any substance that behaves pharmacologically like morphine. Common medicinal narcotics are morphine and hydrocodone, which is an ingredient in Vicodin. Diacetylmorphine (heroin) is also a narcotic, but has no current medicinal use in the United States. As the term "narcotic" is often misused in legal contexts to mean "any illegal drug", medical professionals tend to use the term opioid. Opioids work by binding to opioid receptors in the central nervous system and gastrointestinal tract, activating them and thereby relieving pain. Opioids are some of the most effective pain relievers known and are often used for patients in severe pain. However, opioids have several major side-effects. They are dangerous in high doses as they also suppress respiration and slow heart rate. An overdose of opioids will usually result in death from respiratory failure. The antidote to opioid overdose is an opioid antagonist like naloxone or naltrexone. They are not toxic in the sense that they cause tissue damage at high doses, and for most opioids there is no true dose ceiling. Opioids cause dependence and can be addictive, but less than 1% of patients taking them as directed develop an addiction. A sudden stop in the use of opioids in a dependent person will result in symptoms of withdrawal, such as nausea, vomitting, and increased body temperature.
- We were just stoned off our asses, but it was wearing off. "Alright, we finished what I picked... if you want any more weed, you have to come to the woods with me." I said. "I'm still trippin', man, don't make me move," Jamie begged with a comedic voice. "Never said you had to, just that you had to if you want any weed after your trip's over," I said. Everyone got up, making sighs and disappointed moans, but they knew it would all be worth it once we get a day's worth of weed. "Okay, let me get my flashlight quick." I said and walked off into the kitchen as the others waited in the living room, the first room once you enter the house. I walked back into the living room, carrying a decent sized flashlight, and we all walked out. On the way to the woods, which was a half of a mile, all we talked about was under the topic 'what if we found another kind of drug in the forest?' I was talking about how it wasn't likely, that if I hadn't taken the roots of the dying cannabis and planted more, we wouldn't be doing this. Once we got there, the enterance being darker than the skies, I switched my flashlight on and we all walked in, quietly. If we were loud, we might disturb an animal and it would attack us. There weren't a lot of animals in these woods, but you never know when one gets hungry. "Where are you going, Michael? Fucking Christ!" I yelled. "I'm taking a piss, chill out." he said. I then heard the sound of water hitting the ground, it almost sounded like heavy rain. We all laughed at how loud it was, so he stopped as soon as he could, due to embarrassment. It took a couple minutes of walking to get to the cannabis field. I saw that they have grown, and more grew beside them. Walking up to pick them and put them in my bag, I set my flashlight next to me when all of the sudden Alex yelled, "Hey! What is this?" We all ran over to where Alex was standing, I took my flashlight with me. There was some sort of weed that I've never seen before, and I'm sure none of the three with me saw it before either. "Jesus there's lots of these," Alex said. "No shit, it's a weed." I said. "That's not weed, idiot." Alex said. I was going to explain to him how all weeds are not cannabis, but I changed my mind and hit him softly. I picked one and observed it. Finally, all of my years studying Chemistry and Biology had paid off, because as soon as I saw the Hydroexion inside this weed, I knew that it would get us high. We need to get this Hydroexion in our stomach, as the stomach acids burn it, it will release a gas into our brain which will get us high. We pulled three out of the ground, cut them open, and licked out the Hydroexion inside. It wasn't too long before it got us high. We started seeing stuff, we could see ourselves shooting rainbows out of our hands and a lot of crazy shit. The trip didn't last for long. We spent about an hour on the ground hallucinating before the trip died, and it wasn't a slowing-down process, it was just a sudden stop. Our hearts started beating really fast, and hell I swore mine sounded like a washing machine for a little bit. Just to make sure I wasn't high, I cut myself on the tree, just enough to get blood out, and smelt the blood... It smelled normal. I can assure you, when you are high, your blood is more yellow and has a slight stench. Everyone did the same, none of us were high, but I swear, whenever I focused on this one tree, I saw it move. Suddenly, the tree did move, I was absolutely sure of it then, it pushed itself back and flung forward again, and it didn't take me long to realize... it was me doing it. I focused on Jamie, and pushed him by just concentrating. "My God!" I said. "I have telekinesis!" I looked over at another tree and lifted it out, but put it back in. This was impossible... I had to still be tripping, it just wasn't real... Oh, but it was, and I found out Michael had it as well. Then Alex discovered that he had it... then Jamie. We all had telekinesis fights, we learned how to fly, and since I was a biologist I could mess with the neurons and chemical reactions in someone's brain and pretty much control their mind! This was an extraordinary gift, we flew for hours and messed with out powers, until we landed in that area again to pick up my flashlight and the bag which contained nothing, we were entertained enough. As Michael landed, he accidentally knocked down the flashlight, which was really just like a lantern, and it being on for so long, the glass broke easily, and fire set to the woods. It was no longer a challenge for me, I lifted up the entire fire with telekinesis, made a ball of air particles so no gas particles from the fire could release, and I threw it outside of Earth's atmosphere. "Nice job, Timmy," Alex said. They all congratulated me on mastering it and saving the drugs, and all of that. But this is the turning point, I felt someone shove me, they pushed me down to the ground with telekinesis, then I heard Alex screaming as he was being tossed, then Jamie falling down all of the sudden. Michael lifted me with his telekinesis. "I'm fucking invincible," "Michael! Get me down! If it weren't for me, you wouldn't even have had this power!" I said. He let me down, but thanks to gravity, the fall hurt like hell. "I know, precisely why I'm keeping you alive." Michael said. Alex came out of the darkness into the visual area. I guess the visual area was fully dark as well, but you know what I mean. "Don't kill him!" I yelled, knowing Michael was going to. I cried and had my hand out. I then realized, I could save Alex. I pushed Michael far out into the woods. Alex ran over to me and lifted me up. Before we could fly our way out of here, trees were falling down everywhere, and a sudden burst of force threw us way back. I hit my head on a tree, nearly breaking my neck and killing me. Michael ran with hyperspeed at us and threw a super punch at Alex, making him fly so far off, probably into the other state. If Alex hadn't caught himself before he landed... He was dead. "I can just squeeze your little heart, like I did to Jamie," Michael said with an angry voice. "I am God now!" "I would too... but you have no heart, man." I said. He lifted me by my collar, "The only reason I am keeping you alive is the meaning of your life, the only meaning. Follow your meaning, or die... Get me mushrooms." "I-I don't know where to find them..." I said. "FIND THEM!" he yelled. Finally, I did what I should have done a long time ago... I popped Michael's left testicle by expanding it from the inside, while he was in pain, I scattered his neurons in his brain, then I simply unplugged it from the rest of the body, killing him very fast. I flew over for hours every day to find a sign of Alex. I tried calling him, looking in obituaries, but I couldn't find sight of him. Nobody had seen him, but I'm not giving up my search... If you see Alex, please contact me by email.
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