A more current term for these drugs, with less uncertainty regarding its meaning, is “opioid.” Examples include the illicit drug heroin and pharmaceutical drugs like OxyContin®, Vicodin®, codeine, morphine, methadone, and fentanyl.
Narcotics have historically been used to refer to a number of mind-altering substances as well as to provide a broad legal designation for a range of illicit drugs; today, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) more specifically defines narcotic drugs as those that relieve pain and dull the senses, and the use of the word is most commonly associated with opioid drugs.
