Opium is of which category medicine?

Question

UnlockIAS · Accepted Answer

Correct — A, depressant. Opium and its alkaloids (morphine, codeine — the opioids) are central nervous system depressants: they slow down nerve activity, relieve pain, cause sedation and euphoria, and depress breathing. Medically they are narcotic analgesics; hence opium is classed as a depressant drug.

Why the other options are wrong — (b) Stimulants (caffeine, nicotine, cocaine, amphetamines) speed up the nervous system — the opposite of opium's calming, slowing effect.  (c) Hallucinogens (LSD, psilocybin, mescaline) distort perception and senses; opium's primary action is sedation and pain relief, not hallucination.  (d) Wrong — opium has a definite category: it is a depressant (narcotic analgesic).

Concept: Psychoactive drugs are grouped by their effect on the central nervous system: depressants slow it down (opioids, alcohol, barbiturates), stimulants speed it up (caffeine, cocaine, amphetamines), and hallucinogens alter perception (LSD, cannabis in part). Opium, from the poppy Papaver somniferum, is a depressant.

State PCS 2019 Q85 — Science & Technology PYQ with Answer

State PCS 2019 Q85 — Science & Technology PYQ with Answer