The purpose of this investigation is spread influence to the community about Codeine and verify the different effects it gives the brain, body and driving.

Driving is an important role to every individuals and the society, driving is an activity that most people do every day, it helps people transport from one place to the other in fast pace. Codeine are mainly used to treat moderate pain and cough. Codeine is an addicting drug, abusing codeine can result into bad symptoms such as vomiting, feeling drunk,constipation and even more. Driving a vehicle is considered having a weapon, so when codeine is abused by a driver, the outcome would most likely be an accident putting one or more life in danger.

This report begins by clarifying the importance of driving it then explains the outcomes when taking codeine then the report shows the result when codeine is abused then it ends by describing the result when a driver abused Codeine.


Background

Codeine is an isolated morphine from opium and an addictive drug. It is a natural occurring alkaloid of opium of the unripe seed capsule of the poppy Papaver somniferum, that is used to treat minor pain and troublesome cough.
Figure one below shows the three method to synthesized codeine, first number 1 is reacted with nitromethane to give number 2, number 2 then undergoes reaction through several intermediate steps to form codeine (number 3).   

Figure 1: D.F. Taber, Org. Chem. Highlights, 2010, June 7. Retrieved from http://www.organic-chemistry.org/Highlights/2010/07June.shtm
Codeine has a molecular weight of 299.37 g/mol and can be taken in a solid or liquid form. Codeine has the melting point of 309 to 313° F. Its solubility in water at 20 degrees is 9000 mg/L. The solubility increases as the temperature increases. 
Codeine’s molecular formula is C18H21NO3 . It is an opioid analgesic related to morphine but with less potent analgesic properties and mild sedative effects. It also acts centrally to suppress mild cough. 
Codeine is taken when treating minor pain and cough, codeine is generally not taken unless it is prescribed by doctor or pharmacist, but because codeine is very addicting due to its seductive euphoria and relaxation effect, people will find ways to contain codeine.Codeine should not be prescribed to children due to its poor analgesic effect and risk of opioid toxicity and oversedation. Some common side effects and signs of overdose of codeine are:

Side effects
  • Dizziness                                :
  • Indigestion
  • Stomach upset                          
  • Hallucination                             
  • Depression
  • Inability to urinate
  • Vomiting 
  • Confusion
  • Constipation
  • Skin allergy

Signs of overdose
  • Cyanosis, or blue lips or skin.
  • Loss of consciousness.
  • Pinpoint pupils.
  • Lack of a pulse.
  • Shallow or halted breathing.
  • Sluggish pulse or slowed heartbeat.
  • Chest pain.
  • Frequent vomiting.
  • Extreme fatigue.
Codeine is a centrally acting drug, meaning that it goes to specific areas of the central nervous system (in the brain and spinal cord) to interfere with the transmission of pain, and to change your perception of the pain.

Discussion

Codeine is an addictive drug commonly seen in liquid or tablet form. When codeine is used under the prescription of the medical professional, it is a rather safe way to manage minor pain and cough. However individuals that intend to abuse codeine has a high possibility of having breathing, heart rate, blood pressure problem and more, this affect the individual's driving when codeine takes effect and the person loses concentration of driving and loses control of the vehicle leading in an accident. An often use of codeine has many effects on body and brain,short term or long term, most of this effects has a potential of changing the way any individuals is driving. 
Long term, codeine addicts can suffers from seizure, a disorder in which nerve cell activity in the brain is disturbed; the abnormal behaviour that is experience during seizure gives the driver poor decision making and will not have a full control of his or her body.The consumption of codeine can also cause blurred vision. This is dangerous when driving because the ability to see other cars and possible hazards is essential. High doses of codeine may also cause dangerous short term effects such as; extreme fatigue, slowed heartbeat and loss of consciousness, all this can have a massive effect on the driver's driving. Depression is a recurring symptoms around the world, it can be a very sirius problem and if not dealt with properly it may affect any individual with their driving and other activities. Codeine also has its positive effects on driving, it can help treat the drivers cough or mild pain, in process it may help boost the driver's concentration on the road.           

Conclusion

This report provides understanding of why codeine should never be abused and how codeine effects the brain and therefore driving.This piece has defined why driving under the influence of codeine addiction is highly dangerous. Codeine is an opiate analgesic which is used to suppress pain and cough, it can have bad effects on the body if abused. Once taking Codeine, people try and chase that euphoric and relaxation they felt, resulting in addiction to not only codeine but also other drugs. The use of this drug is a serious issue in the society that already has a major problem with individuals driving, especially in that of young people. People need a good health as well as having the fundamentals of being able to drive safely by alone or with others. High doses of codeine has a massive potential of making individuals loss concentration while driving, which may put the driver or others in great danger.
 Although codeine may fix your agony and discomforting cough, it also has disastrous effect on the body and brain, in some severe cases codeine can lead to death due through an overdose. Codeine are commonly found in pill or liquid form,it’s production is basic but the chemical formula are hard to find.  
Based on my research children under the age of nine years old has died from taking codeine due to its poor analgesic effect and risk of opioid toxicity and oversedation.

Public Education Piece

For my public education piece I made a brochure to advise the general public of the information showed in this report.

References

D. F. Taber, Org. Chem. Highlights 2010, June 7. Retrieved from: http://www.organic-chemistry.org/Highlights/2010/07June.shtm
Amanda Lautieri, BS, The effect of codeine use. Retrieved from: http://drugabuse.com/library/the-effects-of-codeine-use/                
                    
J Anal Toxicol. 1995 Oct;19(6):492-8. Retrieved from: https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/codeine#section=Top
                         
Narconon, history of codeine retrieved from: http://www.narconon.org/drug-information/codeine-history.html

The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica, methylmorphine. Retrieved from: https://www.britannica.com/science/codeine

Katzung, Bertram G. Basic & Clinical Pharmacology. Norwalk, CT: Appleton & Lange, 1992. Retrieved from: http://science.jrank.org/pages/1561/Codeine.html