I believe that opiates tend to relieve pain. Opiates are drugs used to treat pain derived from the opium plant. They are highly addictive, so they pose the threat of opiate addiction (including opioid addiction) to any person who takes the drug for a prolonged period of time. They also include illegal drugs such as heroin, synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, and pain relievers available legally by prescription, morphine and codeine among others