Narcotics mean any chemical, plant or substance which, upon being consumed, causes physiological or mental effect in a significant manner, such as having the need to gradually increase the consumption dosage, having withdrawal symptoms when deprived of the narcotic, having strong continual physiological and mental needs of consumption, and health in general being deteriorated, and shall also include chemicals used for the production of the narcotic, but does not include certain formula of household medicine under the law on drugs that contain narcotic ingredients.
Narcotics are classified into 5 categories, namely:
(1) Category 1 narcotics are dangerous narcotics, such as heroin.
(2) Category 2 narcotics are ordinary narcotics, such as morphine, cocaine, codeine, or medicinal opium.
(3) Category 3 narcotics are narcotics that possess the characteristics of medicinal formula and contain category 2 narcotics as ingredient in accordance with the rules prescribed in the Notification by the Minister of Public Health issued under the recommendation of the Narcotics Commission.
(4) Category 4 narcotics are chemicals used for producing category 1 or category 2 narcotics, such as acetic anhydride.
(5) Category 5 narcotics are narcotics that are not classified into category 1 to category 4, such as opium plants.
When taking a narcotic, one may experience side effects. Each side effect varies, as some may experience more intense side effects.
Some common side effects of narcotics are:
Dizziness
Drowsiness
Constipation
Dry mouth
Headaches
Nausea
Itching (usually mild)
Severe narcotic side effects include:
Cardiac arrest
Trouble breathing
Chest pains
Narcotic addiction is categorized to be the key threats to health, economic, and social problem therefore Thai herbal medicinal therapy for drug relapse might be considered as another potential option. Examples of Thai herbs for narcotic addicts are listed as bellowed.
(1) Thunbergia laurifolia
T. laurifolia is a local Thai plant popularly known as “Rang Jued”. T. laurifolia leaves possessed phytochemical constituents (i.e., apigenin, caffeic acid, catechin, rosmarinic acid, rutin, and quercetin) thus exerts several biological functions such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, detoxification, and anticancer potentials. Various parts (leaves, stems, etc.) of T. laurifolia have been incorporated into Thai herbal medicine as herbal tea to curb alcohol, food poisoning, and other ailments.
(2) Bauhinia strychnifolia Craib
B. strychnifolia is a Thai herbal plant commonly known as Ya-nang-dang and is used for treatment of poisoning and various illnesses in Thai traditional medicine. Its leaves, stems and roots have medicinal properties. B. strychnifolia stem extract was reported to possess anticancer property and the leaf extract has been used for the treatment of diarrhea.
(3) Triphala
Triphala is made from dried fruits of three different plants: Terminalia chebula (black myrobalan), Terminalia bellerica (bastard myrobalan), and Phyllantus emblica (emblic myrobalan or Indian gooseberry). It is used to treat fatigue, oxidative stress, and infectious disorders like tuberculosis, pneumonia, AIDS, and periodontal disease, among others: headaches, dyspepsia, ascites, and leukorrhea.
(4) Turmeric
Turmeric is a deep, golden-orange spice known for adding color, flavor and nutrition to foods. A relative of ginger, turmeric comes from the rhizome (root) of a native Asian plant and has been used in cooking for hundreds of years. It has also been used as traditional medicine in China and India to treat conditions such as skin disorders, respiratory problems, joint pain relief, and digestive disorders. More recently, turmeric has become a popular dietary supplement promoted to benefit a variety of conditions including arthritis, digestive disorders, depression, and allergies, among others.
References:
1) https://en.fda.moph.go.th
2) https://www.psu.edu
3) https://en.wikipedia.org
4) http://www.wildflowerweb.co.uk
5) https://www.therecoveryvillage.com
6) http://www.epharmacognosy.com
7) https://pharmeasy.in
8) https://www.naatigrains.com
