A Second Look at First Effects: The Subjective Effects of Opiates on Nonaddicts

Abstract

Reactions of novices to opiates range from extremely positive to completely negative, and the role these effects play in forming a drug habit has interested both scholars concerned with explaining the spread of heroin addiction and physicians troubled over the hazards of administering opiate medications. Although some observers have recently questioned heroin's euphoriant potential, research shows that many “normals” in laboratory studies and a majority of addicts on the street felt some euphoria during their first trial with an opiate. The higher proportion of euphoric responses among future addicts, commonly explained by reference to the prevalence of psychopathology in addict populations, is probably due to other differences as well. Subsequent opiate use where effects were unpleasant can still be traced to a continued interest in euphoria. Negative reactions caused some neophytes to discontinue use, but addicts-to-be were more motivated and learned from experienced users that undesirable side effects could be discounted as temporary and virtually all the addicts-to-be did achieve euphoria in a few tries. Thus, pre-dependence heroin use Is explained by pleasurable drug effects, but when exposure to euphoria occurs in a medical context, the risk of addiction Is minimal.