Heroin: A Brief History of Its Use and Addictiveness - Essay Sample

Introduction

The existence of heroine dates back to 1874. At that time, it was not an addictive drug, and it was useful because it cured morphine addiction and respiratory illnesses. Besides, the opiate drug, which was synthesized from morphine was able to relieve the withdrawal symptoms of morphine. It was later found out that the drug had similar pharmacologic effects of morphine, and it was equally addictive. People in various countries use heroin as an analgesic for pain relief, specifically for those who are terminally ill. As much as the importation and the manufacture of the drug is prohibited in the United States, it is the predominant drug in the traffic of illicit narcotic since it gives more potency for minimum bulk than morphine. Therefore, it is easier to smuggle. Therefore, over the years, the use of heroin has changed substantially. It is no longer used as a medication for a cure like it was before. Instead, some people have abused it and used it for self-satisfaction so that they can satisfy the urge that they have - in the real sense, they do not satisfy any urge at all, and they end up becoming addicts. The following paragraphs delve more into the issue and brings a deeper knowledge on heroine.

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People who use heroin inject it intravenously, and some also inject it intramuscularly or sometimes under their skins. They can also smoke it or sniff. The effects of using these drugs last for as long as three hours, and up to six hours. Under some instances, the addicts often come together in places that they call "shooting galleries," which are often in vacant buildings and they supply the required paraphernalia, like a spoon and a hypodermic needle to which aids in heating and liquifying the heroine. The users often share these needles, which increases the risk of getting AIDS, in case one of the users of the needle leaves their contaminated blood in the syringe. No wonder some people get AIDS, and they cannot explain where they got it from/. Little do they know that they get it from the sharing of the needle (The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia). Many heroin distributors often give their products brand names to enhance the strength that they have on their users. Since the purity and the strength of the drug are not monitored, every administration has a high chance of overdose, getting ill from the contaminants, and in some adverse cases, death. Many drug users that relate to heroin is not unusual and causes multiple emergency-room visits. A good example is "speedballing," which is the intravenous use of both cocaine and heroin, moderates the post-cocaine "crash" that the users expect. A 1990 study indicates that there was an increase in the growing group of users from the middle-class that came up during that time because of the availability of potent-powdered heroin (The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia). Since 2002, the use of heroin has significantly increased, particularly among people who depend on opioid pain killers. This increase relates to the fact that heroin is cheaper and does not need any prescription.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the abuse of heroine relates to serious health conditions like spontaneous abortion, fatal overdose, collapsed veins and infectious diseases. Moreover, heroin from the street can have additives which do not dissolve readily and can clog the blood vessels leading to vital organs like the brain, lungs, kidneys or liver (National Institute on Drug Abuse). The short-term effects of the abuse of heroin appear soon after one dose and disappear within a few hours. After users inject heroin on them, they always report feeling "rush" a specific surge of euphoria, which comes along with a sense of warm flushing in the skin, heavy extremities and dry mouth. The initial euphoria makes the users go "on the nod," which is alternatively a drowsy and wakeful state. In many cases, the mental functioning of the users become clouded because the central nervous system becomes depressed (National Institute on Drug Abuse). The repeated use of heroin for some time causes long-term effects like infection of the lining of the heart and valves, cellulitis, liver diseases, and abscesses. Pulmonary complications like different kinds of pneumonia can create a poor health condition of the abuser and the depressing effects of heroin on respiration. The abuse of heroin during pregnancy and the various environmental factors like lack of prenatal care relate to adverse consequences like low birth weight, which is an essential risk factor that contributes to later developmental delay.

When users regularly take heroin, they develop tolerance. Therefore, it means that the abuser should use more heroin for them to get a similar intensity of the effect. The more, the higher doses are used, the more addiction and physical dependence develop. For physical dependence, it means that the body of the users adapts to the presence of heroin, and the reduction of the use or completely stopping it causes withdrawal symptoms. In the regular abusers, withdrawal may take place a few hours after the last administered the drug into their system (National Institute on Drug Abuse). This withdrawal comes along with the craving of the drug, bone and muscle pain, restlessness, diarrhoea, vomiting, and insomnia. Accompanied by cold flashes and goosebumps, and kicking movements, among other symptoms. The major withdrawal symptoms are at its peak between two days and three days after the user last administered the dose, and they subside a week later. Occasionally, the sudden withdrawal by the users who heavily depend on the drug is fatal, as much as the withdrawal of heroin is perceived to be less dangerous than the withdrawal of either alcohol or barbiturate.

The typical image of a person who uses heroin is that of a poor, uneducated, unemployed individual living in an inner city. It is true to conclude that the use of drugs relates to poor people who are unemployed and uneducated. However, there is nothing like a typical heroin user. For instance, one of the Hollywood top actors in 2004, Colin Farrell, admitted openly that he tried using heroin at some point in his life. The list of artists, actors, students, musicians, politicians, and business executives among others, who have the habit of heroin is long (UXL Encyclopedia of Drugs and Addictive Substances). Therefore, there is a clear indication that people from all segments of life abuse heroin; the old and the young, the poor and the rich, the educated and the uneducated, the employed and the unemployed, and the people who live in the rural areas, the suburbs or the cities. The drug does not discriminate anyone, and the effect in the body is the same, compared to the magnitude of the usage. Thus, the perception that heroin is a drug that relates to poor people should completely be scrapped off. It has maneuvered through the wealthiest neighborhood in the United States. Moreover, it does not play a primary role in the drugs that relate to club goers (UXL Encyclopedia of Drugs and Addictive Substances). When people are under the influence of heroin, they often tend to be withdrawn and quiet. They often lie or sit in one place and nod. Generally, the speech of such people becomes slurred. Behavior like this does not fit in the dance party environment.

Research has indicated that older users who are over 30 years are the largest group of people who use heroin, according to most national data. However, different sources have indicated an increase in the new and young users throughout the world, who get easily lured by cheap high quality heroin, which they can smoke or sniff rather than injecting (National Institute on Drug Abuse). Once people are addicted, their main aim in life is to know where they will find the drug and use them. Addiction is caused by withdrawal symptoms and physical dependence. Some women also use heroin while they are pregnant. During such times, the abuse of heroin can cause serious complications like miscarriages, and premature birth. The children who are born to mothers with heroin addiction have higher chances of acquiring infant death syndrome.

Identifying the use of heroin earlier helps to make treatment effective. The general goal of treatment is to relieve the withdrawal symptoms as the patients adjust to living their lives without drugs. The most common type of treatment is methadone, which has been in use for over 30 years. This type of treatment relieves the craving that relates to the addiction to heroin (National Institute on Drug Abuse). Another treatment that resembles methadone is LAAM. It treats heroin addiction by blocking the effects of approximately 72hours and presents minimal side effects. Other medications, which block the effects of heroin, opiates, and morphine are Naltrexone and Naloxone.

Street drugs like heroin have extra risks since they contain poisonous additives. Research has indicated that many opioid users eventually turn to heroin. For instance, in New York City alone, overdose deaths that were related to heroin rose to 84% in 2012 from 2010. Fatal heroin overdoses have also been rising every year, and the U.S Drug Enforcement Administration has affirmed that the flow of this drug into the country from Mexico has significantly increased over the years.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it is evident that the use of heroin has its negative effects, which outweigh the positive ones as earlier perceived. Thus, it is important to refrain from this drug by all means since its use leads to addiction, which will, in turn, cause adverse effects or even death in severe cases. Moreover, it is also clear that the use of heroin does not relate to specific people in the community like the poor, the uneducated or the unemployed. Rather, it is present in all people and does not discriminate. To be safe, the only noble thing for users to do is to stop its use completely.

Works Cited

National Institute on Drug Abuse. "Heroin Abuse and Addiction." Drugs, edited by William Dudley, Greenhaven Press, 2002. Teen Decisions. Opposing Viewpoints in Context, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/EJ3010240214/OVIC?u=nysl_we_wseshs&sid=OVIC&xid=a7b9b095.

National Institute on Drug Abuse. "Heroin Is Addictive." Drug Abuse, edited by Tamara L. Roleff, Greenhaven Press, 2005. Opposing Viewpoints. Opposing Viewpoints in Context, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/EJ3010127241/OVIC?u=nysl_we_wseshs&sid=OVIC&xid=2371af90

National Institute on Drug Abuse. "Heroin Is an Addictive and Dangerous Drug." Heroin, edited by Stuart A. Kallen, Greenhaven Press, 2006. At Issue. Opposing Viewpoints in Context, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/EJ3010185217/OVIC?u=nysl_we_wseshs&sid=OVIC&xid=a9bfeac5

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, "heroin." Columbia University Press, 2018. Research in Context, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A69209832/MSIC?u=nysl_we_wseshs&sid=MSIC&xid=82dab79a

Together, Join. "Treatment for Heroin Addiction." Heroin, edited by Stuart A. Kallen, Greenhaven Press, 2001. At Issue. Opposing Viewpoints in Context, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/EJ3010185207/OVIC?u=nysl_we_wseshs&sid=OVIC&xid=4f8b6a9eUXL

Encyclopedia of Drugs and Addictive Substances, "Heroin." edited by Barbara C. Bigelow, vol. 3, UXL, 2006, pp. 399-420. Opposing Viewpoints in Context, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/CX3448100060/OVIC?u=nysl_we_wseshs&sid=OVIC&xid=2b7eb049