What is heroin? |

History of Use

Diacetylmorphine, later named heroin, was originally synthesized in 1874 in London by the English chemist C. R. Alder Wright. However, it was not until 1898 that Bayer Pharmaceutical Company of Germany commercially introduced heroin as a new pain remedy and nonaddictive substitute for morphine. During the next several decades, heroin was sold legally worldwide and aggressively marketed as a cough medicine and as a safer, more potent form of morphine.

By the early twentieth century, heroin’s intense euphoric effects were fully recognized, leading to widespread misuse. Numerous restrictions on the production, use, sale, and distribution of heroin were established to help prevent further abuse. These restrictions included the Harrison Narcotics Act of 1914, the Dangerous Drug Act of 1920, and the Heroin Act of 1924. As a result, heroin consumption briefly declined, but illicit production and trafficking grew. Heroin became one of the most sought after drugs in the world and, by 1970, the US Drug Enforcement Administration classified heroin as a schedule I controlled narcotic. Class I drugs are those with a high abuse potential and no legitimate medical use.

Various methods have been used to gain heroin highs over the years, depending on user preference and drug purity. The most common and economical method of heroin use is injection, or “shooting up.” Popular forms of shooting up include “mainlining” (injecting directly into a vein) and “skin-popping” (injecting directly into a muscle or under the skin).

Snorting and smoking heroin became popular as a result of the availability of higher quality heroin, the fear of contracting blood-borne illnesses through needle sharing, and the erroneous belief that inhaling heroin would not lead to addiction. The best-known method of smoking heroin is “chasing the dragon.” Originating in the 1950s in Hong Kong, this method involves heating and liquefying the drug on tin foil and inhaling the vapors.

Some users crave an even greater high and engage in “speedballing” or “crisscrossing,” which involves simultaneously injecting or snorting alternate lines of heroin and cocaine, respectively. Heroin is considered one of the most dangerous and psychologically and physically addictive drugs available. It remains a serious health issue throughout the world.

Effects and Potential Risks

Heroin is the fastest acting of the opiates; it is three times more potent than morphine. It acts by depressing the central nervous system through an endorphin-like mechanism. Heroin rapidly crosses the blood-brain barrier because of its high lipid solubility. It is quickly metabolized into morphine and binds to the opioid receptors responsible not only for suppressing pain sensation and relieving anxiety but also for critical life processes.

The short-term effects of heroin are attributed to its properties as an opiate. These effects have made heroin one of the most desirable drugs in the world. Heroin produces a warm surge of pleasure and euphoria referred to as a rush. This rush is followed by feelings of peacefulness, well-being, contentment, and physical relaxation. Users go “on the nod,” alternating between wakeful and drowsy states while experiencing little sensitivity to pain.

Minor, negative, short-term effects of heroin use include nausea, vomiting, constipation, severe itching, dry mouth, difficulty urinating, heavy extremities, impaired mental functioning, and constricted pupils. Nonpleasurable sensations, such as irritability and depression, can occur as the high dissipates. However, the most serious side effect of heroin use is respiratory depression, which can be fatal.

The most immediate and intense heroin rush is achieved by intravenous injection. However, this transmission route is the most dangerous. The risk of contracting infectious diseases such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis viruses is substantial. Furthermore, illegal street heroin can be contaminated with unknown additives and impurities such as sugar, starch, and poisons, which can cause blood vessel inflammation, blockage, and permanent damage.

Long-term heroin use can lead to adverse physical effects, including collapsed veins, heart and skin infections, liver and kidney disease, and pulmonary complications. Continuous heroin use may affect brain functioning as a result of repeated respiratory suppression and lack of oxygen. However, the most detrimental long-term effect of heroin use is physical and psychological dependence and addiction, which can occur quickly; users crave larger and larger doses of the drug to achieve the original high.

Heroin abuse is a problem that affects people across the world. Afghanistan is the world leading producer of the opium poppies used to make heroin. Opiate use is most prevalent in the Middle East, as a result, but is also a significant problem in the United States. In 2012 the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) found that there were 669,000 heroin users in the United States; 156,000 of those people were new users. Heroin use saw a steady increase between 2006 and 2012; however, use among adolescents decreased during that period.

Bibliography

Brezina, Corona. Heroin: The Deadly Addiction. New York: Rosen, 2009. Print.

Cobb, Allan B., and Ronald J. Brogan. Heroin: Junior Drug Awareness. New York: Chelsea, 2009. Print.

Elliot-Wright, Susan. Heroin. Chicago: Raintree, 2005. Print.

Libby, Therissa A. Heroin: The Basics. Center City: Hazelden, 2007. Print.

Morales, Francis. The Little Book of Heroin. Berkeley: Ronin, 2000. Print.

"The Truth about Heroin." Foundation for a Drug-Free World. Foundation for a Drug-Free World, 2016. Web. 15 Jan. 2016.

"What Is the Scope of Heroin Use in the United States?" National Institute on Drug Abuse. NIH, Nov. 2014. Web. 15 Jan. 2016.

"World Drug Report 2014." United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. United Nations, June 2014. Web. 15 Jan. 2016.

Websites of Interest

MedlinePlus: “Heroin”

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/heroin.html

National Institute on Drug Abuse

http://www.drugabuse.gov/infofacts/heroin.html