The Heroin Drug Market

Lee D. Hoffer’s “Junkie Business: The Evolution and Operation of a Heroin Dealing Network” is an ethnography that details the buying and dealing of the highly addictive drug, heroin, in the particularly homeless area of Denver, Colorado called “Larimer” from 1995 to the year 2000. The majority of the book focuses on the partnership of two heroin dealers, Kurt and Danny, and examines their daily lifestyles and the transitional periods they faced during their operations. On a much broader level, Hoffer wanted to characterize the heroin dealing occurring on the consumer-oriented side of the heroin dealing business, as well as understand the evolution of Kurt and Danny’s operations. Hoffer’s virtually unlimited

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.

Many people may not realize this but multiple states, including Michigan, are facing an epidemic. It is not a disease, however, it is a heroin epidemic. In a country where addictive opioid pain-killer prescriptions are handed out like candy, it not surprising heroin, also known as smack or thunder, has become a serious problem. The current heroin epidemic Michigan is facing, as are dozens of other states, has spiraled out of control in recent years. In Michigan, some of the areas hit hardest by this drug are in the southern portion of the state, like Wayne, Oakland, and Monroe Counties. The connection between painkillers and heroin may not be clear, but this is because both are classified as opioid drugs, and therefore cause many of the same positive and negative side effects. As a country, we are currently the largest consumer of opioids in the world; almost the entire world supply of hydrocodone (the opioid in Vicodin) and 81% of the world’s oxycodone (in Percocet and OxyContin) is used by the United States (Volkow). Along with consuming most of the world’s most common opioids, we have gone from 76 million of these prescriptions in 1991 to 207 million in 2013 – constantly increasing except for a small decrease starting in 2012 (Volkow). This widespread use has caused numerous consequences from increasing emergency room visits – for both painkillers and heroin – to sky-rocking overdose cases all over the country (Volkow). Michigan, unfortunately, currently has one of the

This literature review will focus mainly on the drug use of heroin, the scary numbers behind the drug and the sudden rise of overdosing on the drug across the United States. Issues that will be discussed are what is Heroin, what’s in Heroin that makes it addicting, how it can increase the users risk of contracting other life threatening diseases and where it’s use and abuse are most popular across the United states and we will take a look at multiple studies that show examples of our new drug problem in the United States. While we looked at how homicide rates have dropped while in class, the flip side to that is that the amount of drug usage has risen.

Correspondingly, pharmaceutical opioids are not the only narcotics consumers can get their hands on. It is said that heroin, an illegal but natural opiate, “... scheduled 1 controlled substance in the United States…” (AmericanAddictionCenters) Taking heroin puts consumers at a high risk for addiction and abuse. Although heroin is a very dangerous drug it does dull pain, impair cognition and the senses, increase sedation, and slow functions of central nervous system. It is stated that “... heroin is the fastest-acting opiate.” (AmericanAddictionCenters). Heroin is described as a brown, or white powder or sticky substance that may be snorted, smoked, or injected, giving consumers a sense of “rush” or “high” that comes very rapid and very intense. Due to the fact that prescription opioids are becoming more expensive and less accessible many people turn to heroin, a much cheaper opiate. Not to mention, but three out four consumers who first started off by taking prescription medication who then became abusive of them now look towards the “high” of heroin. It's no coincidence that opioids, illegal or not can cause severe damage to the consumer that may even lead to deaths due to overdose. Above all, “heroin and other opioid drugs interact with the dopamine levels in the brain,which is what causes the burst of pleasure associated with their use.” (AmericanAddictionCenters) Clearly the abuse of any drug leads to drug tolerance, dependence, and last but foremost addiction.

Many articles I have read say that both law enforcement agencies and state officials suspect that the rise of heroin abuse is due to many reasons. One theory is that because local and federal drug agencies have been shutting down illegal prescription pill mills, and that drug abusers that were hooked on prescription opiates are seeking out cheaper alternatives such as heroin (Kounang, 2015). “Heroin seems to be the drug of choice right now for a number of reasons. Users can inject it, they can snort it and it’s very, very inexpensive and easy to obtain. We’re are seeing that it is cheaper in Providence than it is here in Massachusetts.” stated Ramos when I asked him why it’s so popular. In my opinion, one thing is clear. Both national and local authorities are making an effort to combat this growing issue. They are not turning a blind eye to this epidemic.

In the US, according to CQ Researcher, the number of those that used heroin had more than doubled between the years of 2002 and 2004 and doubled again between 2011 and 2013. It is a growing issue especially due to

The fact that the United States treats drug use as a terrible crime instead of treating it as a physical problem or illness, and the drug problem is still not going away, shows that the United States is going about drug abuse all wrong. The United States has over 25% of the world's incarcerated population and over half of those are in prison for drug abuse/distribution. Other countries have decriminalized drugs and have seen an extremely positive difference in the drug abuse problem. Therapeutic drug treatments can be offered as an option to drug abusers so they feel safe and not afraid or angry of what is happening. The United States needs to find a new policy on drug abuse because the current policy has failed.

If one traveled through the small quiet community of Monroe, MI you would probably never think that this town has a drug problem. From the outside it seems like a nice middle class suburb that might be ideal to raise a family. For those that reside here however, they know that there is a growing problem. There aren’t many families that haven’t been affected by heroin addiction in this small town. The drug has literally swept through this county like an angry mob of rioters bringing crime, death, and destruction with it, leaving many people in the community asking, “Why?”

The heroin epidemic in America has been an issue for decades. According to narconon.org, the heroin epidemic truly began in the Wild West during the 1800’s. Many scholars believe that Chinese immigrants brought the drug to America. Morphine is a derivative of heroin, and during the civil war, many soldiers, both northern and confederate, was injured and became addicted to the drug after being treated with it. It was from opium that morphine, a derivative, was developed as a pain killer in approximately 1810. It was considered a wonder drug because it eliminated severe pain associated with medical operations or traumatic injuries. It left the user in a completely numb euphoric dream-state. Dr. F.W.A. Serturner named the drug morphine, after

Since the early times, opiates, heroin, and other drugs have been used in providing analgesia as well as substitutes to reach a place of euphoria. Originally, as Yurgelum-Todd et al (2009) has noted, derived from the opium poppy, heroin has been used as an alternative to morphine in dealing with addiction (Yurgelum-Todd, p. 175, 2009). Unfortunately, over the years it has consistently become prevalent that heroin has more negative aspects than anything; heroin is highly addictive, resulting in consequences such as overdoses, infections, violence and crime, deficits in memory, learning, and

Prison systems in the United States are full of nonviolent drug users that have been bombarded with extensive sentences for having an addiction. These inmates area mistreated and denied the help they not only need, but deserve. Hundreds of thousands of people struggle with addiction inside and outside the prison systems. Just because these people are incarcerated does not justify that we should deny them treatment. Nonviolent drug abusers need to go through mandatory rehabilitation programs to prevent them from not only relapse, but continue to assist those individuals until they are able to function in society as everyday citizens. By adding rehabilitation programs it will save the taxpayers billions of dollars and forever have a positive impact on the lives of those affected by drug addiction.

Heroin the most addictive flower that hooks users for life that brings the destruction of life. The poppy flower that grasp human mentality by the knees holding them enslave to the euphoria state that the mind has a craving wanting more. This poppy flower has addicts wanting more to have another fix of the poppy flower juice that gives another dose of heroin high. Heroin is easy to search for when looking in the direction for a euphoria journey. As Anthony Brooks (NPR) said “Heroin is the number one dope that could be sold at a cheaper price.” The people that can’t afford their medications through doctor’s orders or a single over-the-medication they look toward the cheapest price of a drug that may take away the pain for a few three hours of pain free. The hook of heroin’s’ grip never lets one go making the mind crave for more like chocolate the sweetness that gives the careless feeling of becoming less than human but a junkie and a dope fiend. The documentation of the Heroin Crisis documentary that America is the dope fiend paradise where addicts can get a fix anywhere without being notice of heroin use and heroin being transported from Mexico, South America, Asia, Laos, Vietnam and Afghanistan the number one supplier. The dope that brings current users wanting more for the craving of heroin and creating new users to make a profit through the heroin addiction that leaves victims overdosed to

Believe it or not their are some ways that the criminal justice system can take in reducing drug crimes. The first step that is the most simple is to create harsher punishments for anyone found guilty of a drug crime. This is where the phrase “Don’t do the crime if you can’t do the time” comes in to play. Stricter laws would help because it would make the user think twice about taking that pill or using that needle because of the harsh consequence that can follow. It seems like drug sentences are not making people think twice about using drugs because it is nothing more than a slap on wrist them. As a result, it has been reported that 95% of users return to drug abuse after being released from prison. (Drugs and Crime in America. (n.d.). Retrieved December 15, 2015). Isn’t the idea of putting a drug abuser in prison is to make sure they never come back? That is a hard task to accomplish when you don’t have strict

There are groups of people in the criminal justice system who considers drug addiction a personal issue, not a criminal one. This could not be further from the truth; drug abuse is illegal and should be treated as such. It is a catalyst for many crimes seen today from mugging to murder. If the numbers of those who abuse drugs are reduced, the amount of crimes associated with the addiction are also reduced. Not only will crime levels be reduced, most of those who undergo treatment tend to be better prepared to do more with their lives and not re-offend.