what are opiate used for
Opiates are powerful drugs derived from the poppy plant that have been used for centuries to relieve pain. Also known as narcotics, opiates can be natural or synthetic. The natural opiates include opium, morphine, and codeine. Other substances, called opioids, are man-made. These substances are like opiates in that they are most often used to treat chronic or severe pain and are also highly addictive. These substances include Dilaudid, Demerol, Oxycodone, Vicodin, Fentanyl, Methadone, and Darvon. Heroin is an opioid manufactured from morphine.