Abstract
Natural opium is a popular seasonal alternation for substance dependent people. Its processing, way of using, experience and change of habits was the aim of our study carried out via anonymous questionnaire and directed interview. 47 questionnaires were obtained. According to our results natural opium has been abused by people 19-42 years old, more than a half of them were male. Basic drug were pervitin in 57 %, marihuana in 33 %, a considerable part (30 %) was natural opium. Each grower produced approximately 35 g of raw opium in one season. The most frequent way of application was smoking, injecting and "opium tea" drinking. Almost a half of the clients (40 %) felt attenuation after application; relaxation, hallucination and central stimulation admitted 25 % of respondents. Health troubles had majority of the users. Combinations of natural opium with other drugs (alcohol, marihuana, pervitin) declared 45 % respondents, the effects of the combinations admitted one third of users. The examination for viral hepatitis confirmed more than a half of the clients; the major part of users from Olomouc, but only 25 % of users from Prostejov were tested for HIV. Opium consumption influenced habits of personal hygiene of more than a half of the users (57 %). Routine servicing of the spot of the needle insertion practiced a half of the responders. Majority of the abusers (79 %) obtained and closed out paraphernalia throw to the "harm reduction" program.
Highlights
According to staff of Contact Centers (CC) in Olomouc and Prostějov, July and August are known as “opium months”. Clients of these CC – substance dependent persons – use to travel in the fields to search for poppy (Papaver somniferum)
Our aim was to find out the way how the clients use raw opium during processing, which form is typical for abusing, what sort of experience they get after the application, whether there are different effects during mixing opium with another drugs and in which way the abuse of opium changes their habits
About 10 % clients of both CC lived with friends or partners
Summary
According to staff of Contact Centers (CC) in Olomouc and Prostějov, July and August are known as “opium months”. Clients of these CC – substance dependent persons – use to travel in the fields to search for poppy (Papaver somniferum). They try to obtain raw opium from these plants because of morphine contained in it. Our aim was to find out the way how the clients use raw opium during processing, which form is typical for abusing, what sort of experience they get after the application, whether there are different effects during mixing opium with another drugs and in which way the abuse of opium changes their habits
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