Heroin Heroin is a widely used opioid, a study done in 2007 by the National Survey on Drug Use and Health found that there are 153,000 heroin users in the United States, however other studies have found this number to be much higher (Foundation for a Drug-Free World.). Heroin can be in a powder or liquid form ranging in color from white to black (Heroin Facts. (2017, August)). Heroin comes from the Opium Poppy plant, once it grows it is cut open and a white liquid comes out of it which is later turned into Morphine by adding hot water. After the morphine is mixed with other substances to make the drug Heroin (C. (2016, October 12)). The plant Opium Poppy has been around since the Mesopotamian and Sumerian cultures. The First Opium War in 1839 …show more content…
(2016, October 12)). Some people can become addicted after their first time using the drug. Once the person uses they may experience a rush, some may feel tired, can feel foggy (this is from the drug slowing the Central Nervous System down (C. (2016, October 12)), may vomit, their breathing can also become dangerously slow (Foundation for a Drug-Free World. (2005). When the drug starts to wear off the person will want to take more of it some withdrawal symptoms are described as “painful flu-like symptoms” (C. (2016, October 12)). Using the drug for a long time can also cause the user to have health issues as well such as collapsed veins, infection, and abscesses ((C. (2016, October 12)). With some of the additives that are put in the drug it can cause clotting in the blood but some may also cause an overdose (C. (2016, October 12)). While heroin is an extremely addictive drug there is also different strains of heroin black tar this type of heroin is cheaper than regular heroin but is stronger and more addictive (C. (2016, October 12)), cheese heroin is a mix of black tar heroin and Tylenol PM, this too is very addictive and can cause the users breathing to stop (Foundation for a Drug-Free World. (2005), China White is another strain of heroin that is mixed with Fentanyl (White Heroin. (16, February 8)). Depending on how heroin is used depends on how quickly the user can feel its effects it can range from 7-8 seconds to 10-15 minutes depending on the way it is administered ((C. (2016, October
Heroin is an opiate, and is a product that is extracted from the Poppy plant and synthesized from morphine. It is a white-to-dark brown powder or tar-like substance and is highly addictive because its qualities become lesser as use progresses, causing the receiver to need more of the drug to achieve the result of the pain relief. Heroin
Heroin was first produced in 1898 in Germany, by Bayer Pharmaceutical Company as a substitute for morphine.6 It was marketed as a non-addictive miracle drug, to use as a cough syrup and pain reliever, but 12 years later it was discovered that heroin was about two times as potent as morphine.5-6 Today, we know heroin as a highly addictive narcotic which has played its part in the worst opioid crisis in the history of British Colombia.2 Heroin is an opioid made from the resin of poppy plants which contain morphine.1 The drug itself can be a white or brown powder or a black goo.1 It is commonly mixed with water and injected with a needle right into the body, but can also be smoked or snorted up the nose.1,3 These methods send it very quickly to
Heroin is no longer being used in the medical field whereas; codeine, liquid morphine, pethidine, and methadone are still being found. In the 1970’s that is when scientists came across the real reasons why people were abusing the drug. Opiates are similar to endorphins, which are produced in the brain that help to relieve pain or fear. The chemicals form small chain peptides binding to form receptors in the brain. Heroin affects the brain by the “Opioid receptors are also located in the brainstem, which controls automatic processes critical for life, such as blood pressure, arousal, and respiration” (DrugFacts 2). Heroin is an organic and plant derived compound that is mixed with morphine, acetic acid, and acetic anhydride. The farmers drain the sap and boil it into sticky gum. After the gum is boiled, they use a water base with lime, ammonium chloride, activated charcoal, and hydrochloric acid. Once the product becomes dry it is in the shape of bricks. “The bricks are then sent to other secret laboratories that mix the morphine with acetic anhydride, more activated charcoal, and sodium bicarbonate (baking soda)” (Bigelow 5). The particles sit in water and after drying is treated with hydrochloric acid which produces a white powder. The product is never just pure heroin, but contains water-soluble substances, sugar, painkillers, baking soda, powdered milk, and talcum powder. Since the heroin is broken down it decreases the purity and the dealer has more of a supply. A “Tar heroin” is produced in Mexico, Central America, and South America, which is a black sticky substance with an odor of
Opium is an analgesic drug that produce euphoric. Opium originates from a plant called Papaver Somniferum, more commonly known as the “poppy tears”. Opium have varying amount of alkaloids such as morphine, codeine, thebaine and papaverine. Primarily seen in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Northern India, Thailand, Turkey,Laos, Burma, Mexico, Colombia, and Hungary. Opium is a drug that causes hallucinations creating illusions through each dose taken. Actually the author of Alice and Wonderland was using opium while creating the story. Opium is more commonly known in Heroin. Heroin is processed with other chemicals, opium being one of the main ingredients. Like Heroin, Opium can be injected, smoked, snorted, or taken in the shape of a pill. This drug
The drug was first created in 1898 as a medicine to relieve pain to those who were suffering from illnesses. However, it was eventually pulled from the market due to its severe and unwanted side effects. Heroin is made from a milky substance found inside the poppy plant. Pure heroin is as much as eight times stronger than that of morphine (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2017).
Heroin Addiction in Australia. There are many fact of this devastated addiction which lead a person to die or rather hope to. Heroin is an opiate drug which belongs to morphine, and morphine itself obtained from the opium poppy plant and this plant called papaver somniferum which means a hypnotic plant, also this plant grows in many countries such as Afghanistan, India, Australia, and China, additionally in 1803 heroin first discovered, and the reason why it has discovered is to help patients to kill the pain, so its name was a painkiller. (Live Science 2015) In addition, according to National Institute in Drug Abuse (2014) heroin is a highly chronic addictive drug that contains morphine which is from a plant called opium poppy that belongs
It is necessary to provide a little background on the primary drug being discussed, heroin. Opium is not a new drug; it has been used in eastern cultures as far back as the Neolithic age. It was used then similarly as other opium based drugs today are used to control pain. Opium could be taken orally or by smoking it, both produce similar effects.
Heroin addicts have the psychological dependence on heroin that leads them into the state of self-destruction and the possibility of leading to death by the extreme use of heroin. 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 of great happiness leaving the pain behind under the spell of heroin. Heroin comes in many forms for addicts to enjoy in their own way. They come in powder and rock like form that is combined with other narcotics. The snorting form for heroin is not
Drug dependency, drowsiness, confusion, constipation, depressed respiration and nausea have been causes of an opioids intake, but many people consider that just another excuse to up the intake of the medicine (NIH). Aside from those physical set-backs there are psychological mental effects too, which include the inability to make immediate decisions, control behavior or react in a stressful moment. This type of mental errors could cause a person to have an overdose or not realize the deadly effects of the tablets. The same effects of the intake of heroin in the body, the mind seems to separate from the body causing to view the world from far away where anything harmful cannot happened. Even while trying to avoid the hectic side-effects of withdrawal from opioids, or heroin, the doctor could prescribe a slow drug taper pills to combat the unwanted uncertainties, or the patient can stop cold-turkey and find other methods to deal with the persistent pain. To this present day there are various medical surgical procedures, low-dose meditation, trying acupuncture or ancient, home remedies are available to the entire world with the world wide
Heroin has been a quiet crisis on the rise over the last few decades, wreaking havoc on communities and families. Hesitance to talk about the heroin crisis makes it difficult to fight the growing trend of abuse. According to the National Household Survey on Drug Use and Health, the increase of heroin abuse has risen 80 percent since 2002 (Jones). The medical effects of addicts abusing their bodies and neglecting their health are a variety of medical conditions. A short term abuser may experience depressed respiration, distorted mental functioning, nausea and vomiting (Volkow). The long term effects of heroin abuse can be addiction, infectious disease as in HIV, hepatitis B and C, collapsed veins, bacterial infections, abscesses and infection of the heart
Heroin, a powerful narcotic, acts upon the brain as a painkiller, increasing physical addiction and ongoing emotional dependence (Schaffer Library of…). Heroin has many challenging and highly risky effects on the user, all the more hazardous if overdosing is present. This extremely dangerous drug, heroin, will never cease being used, but may cease the existence of an individual.
Heroin, derived from morphine, is classified in the opioid family of painkilling drugs, made from the opium poppy plant, specifically the opium from the sap of the plant which is harvested from the seed pods after the flower falls off. The opium poppy is generally grown in Southeast Asia, Mexico, the Middle East and parts of Central and South America (Weintraub 16). Opium was used in the past in countries such as Egypt as a “cure-all” drug and a poison; It was then sold to parts of China and used as a recreational drug that had many users addicted and ruined their lives (Weintraub 16-17). A majority of the heroin in the United States today is smuggled in from South America and Mexico, and is coming over in record amounts
Heroin is named after the German word for hero, heroisch. It was first made by C. R. Alder Wright in 1874 by adding two acetyl groups to the molecule morphine, a natural product of the opium poppy. Heroin is an illegal, highly addictive drug. It is both the most abused and the most rapidly acting of the opiates, about two to four times more potent than morphine and is faster in its onset of action. It is processed from morphine which is 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
The poppy plant is indigenous to parts of Southeast Asia and the raw substance harvested from the flower of the poppy plant called opium. Opium had been commonly smoked for recreational use in Asia for at least 1000 years and was socially acceptable. About 200 years ago addiction became a problem in China and following World War II China strictly limited access to opium. After the restriction on opium, its usage decreased while at the same time, taking its place was the more refined heroin. The opium is crudely refined into the common pain reliever known as morphine. Morphine is then further refined the substance called heroin which was also smoked. Smoking heroin also known as “Chasing the dragon” and poor working class people were drawn to this to help them cope with the harsh realities of their wretched living conditions. Smoking opium required complicated and bulky equipment while heroin did not require such devices, and the limited access to needles, smoking heroin was the most common method at the time (Lam, 1997; PBS, 1998). Once a person is addicted to heroin it can cause them to want nothing but to find more heroin by whatever means possible (Heroin Facts,
Heroin is a white or brown powder. Sometimes it’s a black paste that's known as black tar heroin. Heroin is wicked by many other drugs, sugar, flour and milk. It may have a vinegar smell to it. People who do heroin usually snort or smoke it. There is also an option to inject the drug into your body. It costs $70 to $300 a gram. “In the brain, heroin is converted into morphine, which binds to opioid receptors. This causes a pleasurable "rush," and a user's skin becomes warm and flushed. The user's arms and legs may feel heavy. Some users experience severe itching and vomiting. After the rush, a user's heart rate and breathing slow down, sometimes to the point of death. Heroin is considered highly addictive. Euphoria occurs within seconds of an intravenous injection, five