Heroin and Its Effects on the Body

Heroin’s effects on the body are some that are very startling and makes you wonder why anyone would want to do that to themselves. Why would they want to take such a risk? I am writing this essay to both educate and inform you on the dangers of heroin use. I will be discussing the side effects, short term and long term, possible medical complications, the effects it can take on a child, and more. Maybe I can reach a few people who read this and make them think twice about using heroin if they are ever in that position to do so. If they are informed on what can and what does happen they will never want to try this life destroying drug.

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WHAT IS HEROIN MADE OF?

According to the Australian Drug Foundation (2002) “Heroin is one of a group of вЂ?opioids.’ Other opioids include: opium, morphine, codeine, pethidine, oxycodone, buprenorphine, and methadone.” Heroin was originally developed for a more powerful painkiller and cough suppressant that what was available in the 1800’s. Heroin is named after the German word for powerful, heroic, heroisch. According to popular legend, its substitute, Methadone, was initially christened Dolophine in honor of Adolf Hitler. In reality the name comes from the Latin dolor, meaning “pain,” and fin, meaning “end.” Hence “end of pain.” Opioids.com. Heroin comes from the opium poppy plant. Bayer pharmaceuticals developed this painkiller and it was sold over the counter until 1905, when the United States Congress banned opium. Many people used this drug like it was a cure for everything. Ninety percent of the world’s opium comes from Afghanistan, that’s about triple than thirty percent in the 1980’s.

WHY IS HEROIN SO DEADLY?

There are many different ways to use heroin. One way is orally in a pill form which according to Heroin Addiction 2 (2008) “When taken orally heroin is totally metabolized in vivo into morphine before crossing the blood-brain barrier, so the effects are the same as morphine when taken by mouth. Snorting heroin results in onset within ten to fifteen minutes. Smoking heroin results in an adrenaline rush within two to five minutes. Intravenous injection results in rush and euphoria within seven to eight seconds, while intramuscular injection takes longer having an effect within five to eight minutes.” Smoking heroin is also called “Chasing the Dragon” which originated in Shanghai in the 1950’s. They say that the smoke from heroin looks like a dragons tail.

There is also a greater risk of contracting Hepatitis C and AIDS from using infected needles. The Drug Policy Alliance reports that up to 75% of new AIDS cases among women and children are directly or indirectly a consequence of injection drug use. HIV and the AIDS virus has a high probability of transferring from mother to fetus because they have the same blood source.

WHY IS HEROIN SO POPULAR?

The feeling you get from using heroin for the first time should turn you off of it but it does not. Symptoms include: vomiting, dizzy and sleepy. It usually takes a few doses for your body to build up to it, after that you get a carefree feeling or a mellow feeling for a few hours. Heroin depresses your central nervous system to give you a good happy feeling. A new form of heroin that has come out that is popular with teenagers is “cheese” heroin a two dollar substitute to the real thing. According to www.cnn.com “Cheese” Heroin Popular Amongst Young Teens (2007) “cheese” heroin is a highly addictive, cheap drug.” It is a mix of Mexican black tar heroin and medications that contain antihistamines. “Cheese” heroin is marketed towards teens in middle school, the high that the teens get is drowsiness, lethargy, euphoria, disorientation and excessive thirst. “Cheese” heroin is on its way to being as common and as popular as marijuana.

A CHILD’S PERSPECTIVE

Heroin use during conception has been reported to have greater risks of miscarriage, toxemia infections, premature breaking of the waters, pre-term labor, still birth and low birth weight. Detoxification from heroin while pregnant is not recommended because it can cause death to the fetus. There is a greater risk of SIDS when a woman uses heroin while pregnant. Methadone is the recommended treatment for pregnant women. It is easier and safer to treat an infant with withdrawals from methadone than it is from heroin. According to The American Pregnancy Association, Heroin crosses the placenta to the baby therefore the unborn baby can become addicted to the drug. “Using heroin during pregnancy increases the chance of premature birth, low birth weight, breathing difficulties, low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), bleeding within the brain (intracranial hemorrhage), and infant death. Babies can also be born addicted to heroin and can suffer from withdrawal symptoms. Withdrawal symptoms include irritability, convulsions, diarrhea, fever, sleep abnormalities, and joint stiffness. Mothers who inject narcotics are more susceptible to HIV, which can be passed to their unborn child.”

It is reported that children whose parents abuse drugs and alcohol are three times likelier to be abused or neglected than parents who do not use. Ibid (2008)

THE EFFECTS OF HEROIN

“Opiates stimulate a “pleasure system” in the brain. This system involves neurons in the mid brain that use the neurotransmitter called “dopamine”. These midbrain dopamine neurons project to another structure called