Heroin Addiction - 1345 Words

Heroin According to The National Institute on Drug Abuse, heroin is an illegal, highly addictive drug. It is both the most abused and the most rapidly acting of the opiates. Heroin is processed from morphine, a naturally occurring substance extracted from the seed pod of certain varieties of poppy plants. It is typically sold as a white or brownish powder or as the black sticky substance known on the streets as â€Å"black tar heroin†. Although purer heroin is becoming more common, most street heroin is†cut† with other drugs or with substances such as sugar, starch, powdered milk, or quinine. Street heroin can also be cut with strychnine or other poisons. Because heroin abusers do not know the actual strength of the drug or its true†¦show more content†¦In the brain, heroin is converted to norphine and binds rapidly to opioid receptors. Abusers typically report a feeling a surge of pleasurable sensation-a â€Å"rush†. The intensity of the rush is a fun ction oof how much drug is taken and how rapidly the drug enters the brain and binds to the natural opioid receptors. Heroin is particularly addictive because it enters the brain so rapidly. With heroin, the rush is usually accompanied by a warm flushing of the skin, dry mouth, and a heavy feeling in the extremities, which may be accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and severe itcing. After the initial effects, abusers usually will be drowsy for several hours. Mental function is clouded by heroin’s effect on the nervous system. Cardiac function slows. Breathing is also severely slowed, sometimes to the point of death. Heroin overdose is a particular risk on the street, where the amount and purity of the drug cannot be known. The long term effects of heroin use and the most detrimental is addiction itself. Addiction is a chronic, relapsing disease, characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use, and by neurochemical and molecular changes in the brain. Heroin also produces profo und degrees of tolerance and physical dependence, which are also motivating factors for compulsive use and abuse. As with abusers of any addictive drug, heroin abusers gradually spend more and more time and energy obtaining and using the drug. Once they are addicted, the heroinShow MoreRelatedHeroin Addictions1873 Words   |  8 Pagesbattling his heroin addiction since we were fifteen years old, and I have seen firsthand how this disease can rip a family apart. Andy’s addiction has inflicted such tremendous stress and hurt on my parents and watching them try to help him recover from this addiction is heartbreaking. It is heartbreaking because I am powerless to help heal our family; I would not wish this pain on my worst enemy, because my stepbrother’s addiction has been one of the greatest trials of my own life. Heroin has becomeRead MoreHeroin Addiction And Recovery Of Heroin1436 Words   |  6 PagesHeroin Facts About Heroin Addiction and Recovery Heroin addiction kills thousands of people across the United States each year. It was initially viewed as a low-income, inner city problem, but now has spread to Caucasian, suburban communities along with all other neighborhoods and demographics. Heroin addiction can affect anyone, and it is important for all people to understand the facts. What is Heroin? Heroin, originally developed by the Bayer Pharmaceutical Company as a cough suppressant inRead MoreThe Effects of Heroin Addiction770 Words   |  3 PagesHeroin is illegal and highly addictive. (Dupont, 1997). It remains as the most common drug among drug, among all the opiates (Lalander, 2003). The opiate is made from morphine. Morphine occurs naturally in seed pops of various poppy plants. In most cases, it is sold as a brown or black sticky powder. 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Never estimate the poppy flower for its power that withholds the fiends to their mentality enduring the euphoria enslavement of the mind that contained for many centuries. The heroin addiction nation is a self numbing injection and dry approach to have the mind under the state of the greatest feeling ofRead MoreDrug Addiction : Drugs And Heroin Addiction1130 Words   |  5 PagesThe arguments for whether or not to prescribe heroin to treat heroin addictions are controversial. Henden and Baeroe (2015) state both sides of the arguments being that some believe â€Å"it is in the nature of heroin addiction for individuals to lose their ability to resist their desire for heroin,† which knowing the nature of chemical dependency, heroin addicts would not refuse any heroin, so it still possibly an invalid c onsent to research participation as they did not have a free choice to reallyRead MoreHeroin Addiction : The United States1743 Words   |  7 PagesHeroin Addiction in the United States Overview of Heroin Addiction in the U.S. Heroin addiction is one of the leading killers of adolescents and adults in the United States. In recent years, addiction has skyrocketed, and â€Å"the rate of heroin-related overdose deaths increased by 286 percent between 2002 and 2013.† In 2002, â€Å"100 people per 100,000 were addicted to heroin, and that number has doubled by 2013† (The National Institute on Drug Abuse 2013). 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In this essay, I will explore the different methods of treatment, health insurance issues, and how the addicts affect the society. Information involving treatment for heroin and opiate addicts needs to be more prevalent in society because we do not hear much about howRead MoreEssay on Heroin Addictions in Females1206 Words   |  5 Pages To look at the heroin addiction in females, we will first have to look at where it all began. A study done by Deborah L Rhoads shows that, in the early 19th century, â€Å"Society considered it a wealth or status symbol for most middle and upper middle-class women to need to have numerous home visits from their male doctors who often prescribed opiate medicine for â€Å"female† complaints. A lady was expected to need of chemical assistance, and Laudanum, a liquid opiate preparation, was the female medication