Today, we are joined by Dr. Norman Buckley, an Anesthesiologist from the DeGroot School of Medicine here at McMaster, to break down and discuss painkillers called opioids. Opioids are considered to be the most potent painkillers, and include drugs such as morphine, codeine, and fentanyl. They are used for anesthesia and to alleviate very severe cases of patient pain, such as chronic pain and post-operative pain, but they are particularly significant because they have had, and continue to have a profound impact on our communities. To better understand the impact of opioids, MeduCurrent has chosen to make this episode’s focus a biography of opioids - a review of their history, their biochemistry, and their sociopolitical effects.