Heroin, which is also known as diacetylmorphine (which is its chemical name) is an organic chemical substance. It is prepared by processing morphine, which comes from the unripe seedpods of the opium poppy plant and is a naturally occurring opioid (a chemical that has opiate-like effect). It is manufactured by treating morphine with the chemical acetic anhydride; creating a substance is up to 8 times more potent than morphine. Nowadays, it is often used as a painkiller and also as a recreational drug.

Heroin was originally created by a British chemist in 1874 and was actually brought in as a commercial product by Bayer in 1898. Initially, it was used as a narcotic analgesic. It is exceptionally addictive. Commonly, it is known as a hard drug, compared to soft drugs like marijuana, which is significantly less addictive and injurious.

Governments all over the world typically have strict laws concerning the manufacture, distribution, and possession of this substance. In USA, the Controlled Substance Act lists it as a Schedule I drug. This means that even medical use is not allowed because of its high chance of abuse. Nevertheless, this extremely addictive morphine derivative comprises a huge portion of the illegal traffic in narcotics.

Effects of the use of heroin

* Constriction of the user’s pupils
* Slowness in heartbeat, respiration, & gastrointestinal activities
* Induces sleep
* An effect of ecstatic reaction (after an intravenous injection)
* A warm and comforting sensation spreading across the body
* A brief but intense rush
* a deep, drowsy state of relaxation
* a feeling of contentment
* a clouding of consciousness
* reduced attention and concentration
* persisting of the condition for around 2 to 4 hours before wearing off
* some people experience negative effects like nausea, anxiety, and depression

In powder form, it can be inhaled, or sniffed. When attenuated in water, it can also be injected intravenously or subcutaneously. But addicts, unlike amateur users, consistently inject the drug intravenously, since this produces the accelerated and powerful euphoric effects.

This is an exceedingly addictive drug, and addicts must habitually inject it about 2 times a day to evade the uneasiness of withdrawal symptoms; which include insomnia, body aches, nausea, restlessness, diarrhea, and vomiting. An addict attempting to break his/ her body’s reliance on this drug must endure a strong withdrawal period for 3 or 4 days, with the symptoms decreasing noticeably after that. Addicts also build up tolerance to the substance; and so an addict has to use the drug frequently or in greater quantity to attain the same euphoric effects. However, these effects happen to fade away totally in case of heavy use, even though the addiction remains.

This addiction is a pricey one, and addicts, when not employed, often engage in burglary, robbery, procuring, prostitution, or narcotics peddling for continuing their habit. Addicts commit an excessively large number of property crimes in the countries where use of this drug is a major crisis.

This substance is illegally available on the street, mostly diluted to a purity of about 2% to 5%, often mixed with milk sugar, quinine, baking soda, or other white powdery substances. The accidental injection of comparatively pure heroin is a chief cause of drug overdose, the key symptoms of which are intense respiratory depression often deepening into a state of coma and finally into death. Aside from this peril, addicts are prone to hepatitis and various other infections because of their use of contaminated or dirty syringes. Scarring of the arms and legs is another widespread injury, because of frequent needle injections and ensuing inflammations of the veins on the surface.

The possession and use of this drug is prohibited in most countries around the world, even though the drug can be used as an anesthetic for terminally ill patients and those who are suffering severe aches and pains. The majority of the illicitly distributed drug comes from the Southeast Asia, Middle East, and Mexico. During the beginning of this century, the chief opium producing countries were Myanmar, Afghanistan and Laos. This addiction initially appeared during the early part of the last century, and for quite a few decades after that, it was normally confined to the insignificant or criminal elements in the Western societies. But since the 1960s onwards, its use had spread to some extent among youths in the middle- to upper-income families and to also to Third World populations. The use and trafficking of this drug are global problems, and both international and national law regulatory and enforcement agencies try to find ways to suppress and control these activities.

In spite of the fact that use of this drug has been unlawful for many years, the drug is more trendy today, purer in form, easier to get hold of and easier to make use of than in the earlier days. It still exacts the same high price on the users today, though… through dependence and its social and personal costs. Although the drug sold on the streets today is purer than earlier, it can still be cut with poisonous material like strychnine that can put the users in great risk. Overdose presents a constant hazard, and a number of overdoses result in fatalities. Various health risks connected to use of this drug are contracting AIDS and Hepatitis B owing to the use of unsterilized needles, collapsed veins, arthritis, malnutrition, abscesses, bacterial infections, infection of the heart lining & valves, and rheumatological issues.

Notwithstanding the numerous individual costs associated with drug use, people carry on using this for the euphoric experience it makes them feel. This drug causes people to feel content and warm, and relieves tension. It gives the users a fleeting state of ecstasy, followed by stupor. It slows the heart rate, brain activity, and breathing, and depresses hunger, reflexes, thirst, and sexual yearning. It also boosts tolerance to pain.

Treatment for addiction takes numerous forms, but it always requires discontinuing the use of this drug completely. Since withdrawal entails tremendous pain, other treatments have also been developed. The newest treatment for addiction, known as Rapid Opiate Detoxification, allows a doctor to anesthetize the patient so that he/ she is out cold during the most agonizing period of withdrawal.

The more traditional approach to dealing with addiction is replacing the use of this drug with the use of another opiate, methadone, which doesn’t have the same hazardous side effects like heroin and allows users to live a moderately standard life. Most of such treatment programs treat dependence as a health issue, not a moral or criminal problem. Some even call this a disease, but that idea is contested by many others who see such tags as relieving the addicts of accountability for their addiction. Addiction also adds to the great social burden created by illegal drug problems in general.

Those who snort this drug during work know personally the various costs of drug addiction. He or she could face the possibility of loss of job, family, prison, and health. Overdose followed by demise is a constant danger. Maybe he/ she could make a switch to methadone or even try to get clean, with or without help, and start living a healthy, productive life. The prosperity and health of celebrities, ordinary people and the society as a whole depends on the quality of the debate about this drug and the policies that come up to counter this threat.