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Alexis fant, katie Nelson and Julia Butov

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A highly addictive analgesic drug derived from morphine, often used illicitly as a narcotic producing euphoria.

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In addition to the classic injection method, it can be snorted, sniffed and smoked, depending mainly on the purity of the drug and the preference of the user.

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Heroin is a highly-addictive drug that is used in various ways. In addition to the classic injection method, it can be snorted, sniffed and smoked, depending mainly on the purity of the drug and the preference of the user.

Heroin can be injected into a vein or a muscle. It can be smoked in a pipe or mixed with a marijuana joint or a regular cigarette. Its smoke can be inhaled through a straw, a process known as "chasing the dragon." As a powder, it can be snorted.

Users who inject heroin feel is effects the quickest. When heroin is mainlined, users can usually begin to experience a feeling of euphoria within seven to eight seconds. When it is smoked, the user will typically feel its peak effects in 10 to 15 minutes.

Highly Addictive Drug

The higher purity heroin that can be snorted or smoked also appeals to new users, who may be leery of injection drug use, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Injection users of heroin generally have a higher rate of addiction or dependence on the drug compared with those who snort or smoke it. Injection users tend to use more often and develop a tolerance to the drug more quickly.

No matter how heroin is used-injected, snorted or smoked-it is highly addictive for the user due in part to the development of tolerance to the drug which requires greater dosages to achieve the same results.

Rush Is Greater for Injection Users

Shortly after injecting heroin, users report that they feel a surge or "rush" of euphoria, dry mouth, a warm flushing of the skin, and heaviness in the extremities.

After this initial euphoric feeling, users will enter a state that alternates between drowsiness and wakefulness, during which mental functioning becomes hazy.

Those who snort or smoke heroin may not feel the intense rush that injection users feel but will experience the same other effects. Traditionally, the majority of people seeking treatment for heroin abuse were injection drug users, but the availability of pure heroin has created a shift toward sniffing and smoking the drug, particularly among young users.

The Ritual of Injecting Heroin

The process of getting heroin ready to inject can become a ritual for those who choose to mainline the drug. Just as how carrying, lighting, and holding a cigarette becomes a part of the ritual for tobacco users, getting ready to shoot heroin can also become a very ritualistic.

Heroin comes in a powder or tar-like form so in its natural state it cannot be directly injected into the body, it must be changed into liquid form first. Typically, heroin is placed into a spoon and mixed with liquid and heated. Citric acid is sometimes used because it helps break down the heroin. The heroin, citric acid, and water are heated in the spoon using a lighter or candle until it becomes liquefied.

Laying Out The Works

Some users will place a cigarette filter or a tightly rolled up ball of cotton into the spoon and let it absorb the liquid. They will then draw the liquid into a syringe through the filter to eliminate impurities.

The user will then tie a belt or shoelace around the upper arm to cause their veins to stand out, just as phlebotomist does with a tourniquet when drawing blood for medical testing. Many users for whom the process has become a ritual will begin by laying out their "works" on display-the heroin, syringe, spoon, lighter, filter or cotton, belt, citric acid, water, and alcohol swabs-and placed in order of use.

The alcohol swab is used to clean the spoon and the place of injection on the body. Most users begin by injecting heroin in the arm because it is the easiest method, but as their veins collapse or become damaged, they will inject into other areas-behind the knees, between the toes, or in the neck.

Consequences of Using Heroin

Heroin overdoses depress heart rate and breathing and the user must be rescued by medical personnel or he may die. Tolerance and physical dependence on the drug develop swiftly, with withdrawal symptoms when the drug is not taken. Addiction can follow, with seeking and using the drug becoming the primary focus of the addict's life.

Injection drug users are at high risk for HIV and hepatitis, both hepatitis B and hepatitis C. But those who smoke or snort heroin are also at increased risk of HIV/AIDS and hepatitis because they are more likely to have unprotected sex while under the influence.

Women who use heroin during pregnancy pass the drug to their fetus through the placenta, causing the baby to be born dependent on the drug and resulting in neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS). They also have a risk of spontaneous abortion during pregnancy.
Heroin Drug Guide. The Partnership for Drug-Free Kids. http://drugfree.org/drug/drug-heroin/. Heroin: Research Report Series. National Institute on Drug Abuse. https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-reports/heroin/letter-director. Updated January 2014.

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Heroin is a highly-addictive drug that is used in various ways. In addition to the classic injection method, it can be snorted, sniffed and smoked, depending mainly on the purity of the drug and the preference of the user. Heroin can be injected into a vein or a muscle.

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It is addictive physically. The user experience a rush followed by a decrease in heart rate and breathing without assistance could die. It also increases there chance in contracting hiv/aid or hep because there more likely not to use protection during intercourse.

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http://www.drugfreeworld.org/drugfacts/heroin.html

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You can get help at National Helpline.

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Heroin and its effect on a pregnant women

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Heroin and its effect on a pregnant women

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If a pregnant women does heroin, she can get Neonatal Abstenence Syndrome (NAS). NAS can cause extreme heroin addiction, making both the mother and child dependant on it.

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-Big H
-H
-Junk
-Skag
-Horse
-Smack
-Thunder
-Hell dust
-Nose drops
-Black tar
-Ska

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~You can overdose with Heroin
~Heroin can cause insomnia
~Heroin is a costly habit
~Heroin can cause heart and liver problems
~Heroin detox is not rehab
~Heroin can cause serious peripheral health issues
~Heroin can cause loss of memory
~Four in five drug related deaths are from Heroin
~Heroin quickly breaks down the immune system
~Heroin can lead to infection of internal organs

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Decreased dental health problems like damaged teeth and gum swelling

Extreme scratching of skin

Poor appetite

Sleeping problems

Decrease in sexual functioning

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Short:

A rush which is a strong increase in euphoric feelings.

Reduced sensation of pain.

Drowsiness

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Is Heroin Harmful?

Continued use of heroin can bring devastation to both physical and mental health, and is likely to culminate in a number of social and legal ramifications for the user.

Heroin is the name for a modified version of morphine that is a very addictive and illegal opioid drug.

The drug is available on the illicit market in a number of different varieties, with purer product tending to occur in white powder form. White powder doesn't always equate with pure, however, as heroin can be mixed with other white substances such as sugars, powdered milk, starches, and quinine--the latter a bitter compound that has fever-reducing and pain-relieving properties. These adulterated powdered products will appear more yellowish or brownish, on average. Another commonly distributed version - known as black tar heroin - appears as a black, sticky substance.

Heroin may be smoked, snorted, or injected. Regardless of the type of use, heroin acts quickly in the body to elicit its dramatic results.

In short, heroin is very harmful. The speed and intense effects of the substance are main contributors to its harmful nature. They are also factors that lead to the addictive nature of heroin. Continued use of heroin can bring devastation to both physical and mental health, and is likely to culminate in a number of social and legal ramifications for the user.

Who Answers?

Thinking About Getting Rehab?

Short Term Effects of Heroin Use

This addictive nature of this substance is reinforced by its abilities in creating intensely pleasurable feelings. Heroin accomplishes this by binding to opioid receptors in the body. Once the chemical interaction has taken place, the affected nerve cells are prompted to release a neurotransmitter called dopamine. Dopamine is a special molecule--and important in mediating feelings of pleasure that are rewarding to the user. It's these sensations of reward that can kickstart and later reinforce a growing addiction, as the user continually seeks to repeat the behavior - in this case, heroin use - that lead to them in the first place.

The short-term effects will deviate slightly based on the method of delivery into the system, but the most common immediate analgesic (pain-relieving) and central nervous system depressant effects are:

A "rush" which is a strong increase in euphoric feelings.

Feelings of being warm and flushed during the "rush."

Heavy sensation in the extremities.

Reduced sensation of pain.

Drowsiness.

Sedation.

Lethargy.

The pleasurable feelings related to the "rush" will only be felt for a few minutes with more lasting feelings of sedation persisting for a few hours afterward. The duration of all effects will be dependent on the purity, dose, and route of administration--e.g., if the drug was snorted, smoked, or injected. Throughout the heroin high, the user may move between periods of being awake and asleep, referring to as "nodding."

The high from heroin will decrease with continued use, as the user becomes increasingly tolerant of the drug. The onset of tolerance frequently promotes ingestion of higher and higher amounts, which can easily result in overdose.

Side Effects

Essentially, it's never a safe time to use heroin--first time users overdose; veteran users overdose.

As people use heroin over time, the pleasurable short-term effects become overshadowed by numerous unwanted side effects of the substance. Frequently, this occurs because the body adapts to the heroin in the system and takes action to counterbalance the effects. The side effects of heroin use include:

Nausea and vomiting.

Grogginess.

Confusion.

Dry mouth.

Itchy skin.

Miotic or constricted pupils.

Light sensitivity.

Lower than normal body temperature.

Slowed respiration.

Slowed heart rate.

Cyanotic (bluish) hands, feet, lips, etc.

The risk of death from overdose is a concern for people using heroin in the short or long term because dosing is impossible to measure due to difference in purity. Essentially, it's never a safe time to use heroin--first time users overdose; veteran users overdose.

Many of the complications and side effects are compounded by using other substances with heroin, especially others that depress the body like alcohol or sedatives. The combined effects can lead to dangerously slow breathing, lack of oxygen to the brain, heart problems, coma, and death.

Long Term Effects of Heroin Use

There is a wide range of effects from long-term heroin use. People with continued heroin use for long periods of time may experience:

Decreased dental health marked by damaged teeth and gum swelling.

Excoriated skin from scratching.

Severe constipation.

Increased susceptibility to disease from diminished immune system.

Weakness and sedation.

Poor appetite and malnutrition.

Sleeping problems.

Decrease in sexual functioning.

Some of the largest risks of long-term heroin use are the potential for irreversible impact to the liver or kidneys from damage or infectious diseases. The brain can also be adversely affected due to lack of oxygen.

People using heroin frequently must contend with problems from abscesses, bacterial infections, and infections of the heart valves. Pregnant women that use heroin are at risk of miscarriage, and place their children at risk of communicable disease, as well as being addicted to the drug from birth.

Additionally, someone addicted to heroin will likely experience numerous personal consequences, such as financial issues, relationship turmoil, school or employment troubles, and legal penalties.

Mental Health Concerns

Because heroin impacts the physical structures of the brain, mental health concerns can be encountered with continued use. They include:

Depression with inability to feel happiness.

Social isolation.

Memory problems.

Anxiety regarding continued use.

Dependency and addiction.

Heroin Dependence

One of the most dangerous aspects of heroin is its ability to elicit both tolerance and physiologic dependence in the user in a short amount of time. Dependence is a physical phenomenon. When someone is gripped by a heroin dependency, they will feel uncomfortable and sick without the substance in their system. This occurs because the body has become so accustomed to the heroin that its absence is unusual.

Dependence on heroin is further marked by the expression of withdrawal symptoms that can begin a few hours following the last use. Withdrawal symptoms of heroin can be quite severe and unpleasant to experience as they mimic many flu symptoms. They include:

Restlessness and discomfort.

Pounding or racing heartbeat.

Anxiety.

Shaking.

Sweating.

Shivering.

Pain/aches in the muscles and bones.

Diarrhea.

Vomiting.

Inability to sleep.

The symptoms can climax within one or two days but may persist for up to a week or more.

Heroin-related emergency room visits

Heroin-related treatment facility admissions

Am I Addicted?

If you're worried about your use of heroin, take the following assessment to determine the severity of the problem.

Heroin Withdrawal Treatment

Since withdrawal from heroin can be extremely uncomfortable and can prompt the individual in recovery to turn back to the drug, professional treatment is frequently recommended. Oftentimes, a period of detoxification is needed at the onset of treatment to manage symptoms and maintain comfort while the remainder of the substance leaves the body. At times, the medical team will administer medications to ease the process. Typically, detox is completed on an inpatient basis so that a medical team can be present at all times.

Following the detoxification process, the recovering heroin addict can be referred to a number of treatment options like residential rehab, outpatient mental health or drug and alcohol therapy, medication management, and community supports to continue working towards establishing and maintaining recovery from heroin.

Sources:

National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2014).

Abadinsky, H., & Abadinsky, H. (2014). Drug use and abuse: A comprehensive introduction (8th ed.). Belmont, CA: Thomson/Wadsworth.

National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2015). Overdose Death Rates.

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Continued use of heroin can bring devastation to both physical and mental health, and is likely to culminate in a number of social and legal ramifications for the user. Heroin is the name for a modified version of morphine that is a very addictive and illegal opioid drug.