Case Analysis : ' Heroin Overdose '

Heroin is an illegal substance derived from morphine. At one time it was legal, and was created originally as a safer alternative to morphine. The opposite was found to be true, and heroin is now illegal. Heroin is highly addictive and has strong euphoric effects. There are many short and long term effects when used or abused. Short term effects of heroin use include slowed cardiac system functions and breathing, intense itching, dry mouth, drowsiness and convulsions- especially in a case of an overdose

Various Effects of Opioid Abuse on a Community The relationship between the rising rates of prescription-opioid abuse and heroin use has led to increases in crime, incidences of HCV and HIV, and drastic increases on overdose and death. In fact, between 1999 and 2010 opioid-related mortality increased 415% among women and 265% among men (King et al, 2014). According to King et al (2014), the main causes of this increase in deaths can be attributed to prescriber error, user behavior and characteristics

Mrs. Nolan English 12 Cp 27 January 2016 Heroin Epidemic Heroin is an illegal drug that is very addictive. Heroin impacts many people around the world. Millions of people use the drug and cannot overcome the urge to use it. Heroin is usually white but it could also be brown or black. Heroin can be smoked, sniffed but in most cases, injected. ("Heroin: What is it?”) Heroin will affect you very heavily short and long term. When you first take heroin you will immediately give you a surge of sensation

illicit drug, heroin, has been a part of American society. When heroin was first discovered it was thought to be a wonder drug because of the euphoric feeling a person is said to feel after using it. However, once the debilitating effects of this highly addictive drug was realized the anti-drug law, the Harrison Narcotics Act, was enacted that restricted its use to medicinal purposes only. In 1920, heroin was banned altogether through the Dangerous Drug Act (Habal, 2011). Heroin for the most part

northern New Mexico’s Española Valley, home to the highest rate of heroin addiction and fatal overdoses in the United States. In a luminous narrative, Angela Garcia chronicles the lives of several Hispano addicts, introducing the intimate, physical, and institutional dependencies in which they are entangled. The book discovers how history pervades this region that has endured centuries of material and cultural dispossession, and how heroin problem is a contemporary expression of these conditions, as well

that can be tested include, "anabolic steroids, cocaine, amphetamines, cannabinoids, opiates, bronchodilators, phencyclidine…" the list goes on (Shah, par. 2). Being able to test for such a wide range of drugs just through hair makes forensic drug analysis very trustworthy for evidence, and it being so easy to test hair there's no real downside. A number of chemicals and solvents are applied to hair samples in order to decontaminate from any external entity that could sway the testing. After the

of opioids is at an all time high, it has became such an issue nationwide, that it has became an epidemic. Because of the opioid epidemic, America is tearing apart, children all across the country are dying everyday, these children are dying from overdoses due to poisoning. The opioid problem is not just because of a person's decision to pick up a needle or a pill bottle, but it is because in the 1990’s doctors gave up on trying to treat patients for their overwhelming pain and discomfort, causing

"Do you know, John, what's the most peculiar thing not to find on a person who dies of overdose?" He asks as he turn his focus back on Johnson's body. "No, a lottery ticket?" "I'll put this nonsense on the blood loss you suffered. No, the most peculiar thing not to find, is an entry point. No injection mark, no trace on their lips, mouth, oesophagus, nose, rectum. Blood analysis confirmed they died of overdose, but there's absolutely no sign of how the drug got in there in the first place." "The

A number of public health and safety concerns arise from injection drug use, including: HIV transmission (Mathers et al., 2008), hepatitis C virus (HCV) transmission (Alter, 1997; Lake and Kennedy, 2016), overdose (Lake and Kennedy, 2016; Sherman et al., 2007), abscesses and infections (Binswanger et al., 2000; Salmon et al., 2009), and improperly discarded syringes (Buchanan et al., 2003). Supervised injection facilities (SIFs) —also called drug consumption rooms (DCRs), safe injection sites (SISs)

The amount of drug abuse in the United States is at an all time high. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “since 2000, the rate of deaths from drug overdoses has increased 137%, including a 200% increase in the rate of overdose deaths involving opioids and heroin (Rudd, Aleshire, Zibbell, & Gladden, 2016). With drug use on the rise, the chance of illegal substances being involved at a crime scene is common. When potential illegal substances are found at a crime scene, the