Drugs and Drug Abuse
Read the following passage carefully and answer the given questions.
Use of drugs has been on the rise, especially among the youth. This is really a cause of concern as it could result in many harmful effects. Proper education and guidance would enable young people to safeguard themselves against these dangerous behaviour patterns and follow healthy lifestyles. The drugs which are commonly abused are opioids, cannabinoids and coca alkaloids. The majority of these are obtained from flowering plants. Some are obtained from fungi. Various plants, fruits and seeds having hallucinogenic properties have been used for hundreds of years in folk-medicine, religious ceremonies and rituals all over the globe. When these are taken for a purpose other than medicinal use or in amounts/frequency that impairs one's physical, physiological or psychological functions, it constitutes drug abuse. These days, some drugs are also being abused by some sports-persons.
A very effective sedative and painkiller, which is very useful in patients who have undergone surgery is:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → Morphine
Morphine is an opioid taken from the latex of the opium poppy, Papaver somniferum. It is a very effective sedative and painkiller, and it is very useful for patients who have undergone surgery.
(1) Morphine — Correct. It gives sedation and relief from pain after surgery.
(2) Heroin — Incorrect. It is made from morphine. It is a depressant that slows down body functions and is known as an abused drug, not as a medicine after surgery.
(3) Cocaine — Incorrect. It is a coca alkaloid. It stimulates the central nervous system and gives a sense of euphoria. It is not a painkiller.
(4) Kanamycin — Incorrect. It is an antibiotic, which kills bacteria. It is not a sedative.
Note 1: The passage is taken from NCERT. NTA has put lines of the NCERT text together to make it. Most CUET (UG) questions come straight from NCERT, so study the book line by line, including figures and their titles.
Note 2: A similar question was also asked in CUET (UG) 2025 on 20-05-2025 (Slot 2), on 16-05-2025 (Slot 1), on 15-05-2025 (Slot 2) and on 15-05-2025 (Slot 1).
NCERT Extract:
Drugs and Alcohol Abuse –
