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History Of Heroin

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Heroin: History, Societal Impact and Next Steps

Heroin is processed from the poppy plant. The Opium poppy had been cultivated and marketed for thousands of years. It was used first in religious ceremonies and for early medicinal purposes but at that time it was not synthesized as heroin. Heroin was originally produced in a chemist lab back in 1874 by C. R. Alder Wright.1 At that time the production of heroin was in response to the demand for the need of a non-addictive pain killer. The substance was produced but sat dormant for a number of years. It was not until several years later that heroin was marketed by the German company, Bayer. An employee, Heinrich Dreser, suggested the substance would be a valuable ingredient in cough medicines, …show more content…

There is a need for education not only within schools for signs and warning of early addiction but also to prepare children with the ability to make appropriate choices. Due to cuts in many school budgets programs related to wellness, drug education and addiction have been eliminated. There are recommendations that these programs be put back in to regular school curriculums at even earlier grade levels. There are case studies that show that children are exposed to prescription drug use by the age of twelve.6 While there is a need to educate children, parents and teachers there is a need within the medical community as well. Doctors need to be aware of pain management and issues with prescribing opioids from the onset. The piece that is missing according to the summary of findings from the Task Force on Heroin Addiction is the addictive piece. Doctors and nurses receive training and education related to pain management but rarely receive information or training related to addiction issues. There is movement for doctors that have the ability to prescribe opiates to take courses associated with addiction in order for them to be licensed or maintain their …show more content…

The user is typically not aware of the Fentanyl being added to the drug. The user then consumes the customary amount of their dosage and then dies from an over dose. If they are lucky there will be an immediate intervention and a person who has access to Naloxone or Narcan can reverse the affects. Naloxone is a substance that is injected and blocks the effects of the heroin or other opiates.9 The local police as well as staff at the local department of social services carry Narcan. Even as recent as within the last week individuals that were found over dosed in the local department of social services were administered Narcan with success in reversing the effects of the heroin

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