Hed TK Here

Opioids: A class of drugs that include the illegal drug heroin as well as pain relievers available by prescription, including Oxycontin, Vicodin, codeine and morphine, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Opioids can include drugs derived directly from the opium poppy plant (opiates) or synthetically produced in a lab.

Heroin: A drug processed from the seed pod of certain types of poppy plants grown in Central America, South America and southern Asia that gives users a sense of euphoria or “rush,” according to the DEA. It is highly addictive — with regular use, tolerance develops and users must use more heroin to achieve the same intensity. Heroin is classified as a Schedule I drug, which means the federal government believes it has no acceptable medical use and has a high potential for abuse. It is two to five times more potent than morphine.

Fentanyl: A synthetic opioid responsible for many of the fatal overdoses reported on Long Island. Fentanyl is 30 to 50 times more potent than heroin and 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine, according to the DEA. When used for medical purposes, it is used via an injection, a transdermal patch or in lozenges. As a street drug, it is sometimes mixed with heroin. It is typically swallowed, snorted or injected.

Naloxone: A medication better known by the brand name Narcan, it is used to halt and reverse opioid overdoses. It can be administered through injections or a nasal spray.

Morphine: A natural substance derived from poppy seed pods that is a key ingredient in the production of heroin and is also used legally as anesthesia or as a pain reliever. Morphine is 360 times stronger than aspirin or acetaminophen. It is used in a variety of forms, including tablets, capsules, suppositories and injections, according to the DEA.

Methadone: A long-acting synthetic drug developed by German scientists during World War II because of a shortage of morphine, it is effective in treating pain and opioid addiction. Methadone is three times stronger than morphine but does not produce the same euphoric effect. It is usually mixed with water and ingested, although illicit users of the drug may use it intravenously.