UK Opiate Usage

Consumption, Attitudes and Prices

Opium in the UK

Opium is the raw exudate of the opium poppy (Papaver somniferum) which is scraped from the scored seed head of the poppy, which contains a number of alkaloids including morphine and codeine.

Heroin and Employment

Drug use, and particularly a drug conviction, is widely considered to be a barrier to employment with an increasing number of employers conducting pre-employment, "with cause", or random urine screening. Consequently, drug users experience difficulties in finding and maintaining employment, particularly in "safety-sensitive" occupations. Bowden et al reported "arrest record, both preceding and during treatment, based on official police data was the single factor significantly associated with employment"

Methadone Information

Methadone (physeptone) is an opiate drug commonly used to counter the effects of opiate withdrawal syndromes without the euphoriant effects of heroin or morphine. The effects of methadone are longer lasting than for heroin, such that it is common to prescribe a daily dose, whereas a heroin user would need to take the drug every 4-6 hours.