Facts About Heroin
What Is Heroin?
- Codeine
- Morphine
- Oxycodone
- Hydrocodone
- Fentanyl
Brief History of Heroin
The civil war
During the Civil War, morphine use was widespread among injured soldiers between 1861 and 1865. Morphine is the narcotic ingredient in opium which is 10 times stronger in its pure form. Morphine was first isolated from opium in 1803, by a German scientist, Friedrich Sertürner. As nearly 400,000 morphine-addicted soldiers returned home from the Civil War, an effort to find a less addictive painkiller led to the 1874 development of heroin, which was branded and marketed by Bayer Pharmaceuticals in the late 1890s.Early attempts to curb the spread of heroin
Despite their analgesic benefits, the addictive dangers of heroin and morphine became a health and social concern by the end of the century. By then, federal legislation was introduced to curb the addiction epidemic of the time.- Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 Signed into law on May 6, prohibited all immigration of Chinese laborers.
- Harrison Narcotics Tax Act of 1914 Signed into law on December 17, effectively outlawed the recreational use of narcotics including cocaine by requiring registration and taxation of all transactions including importation.
The current opioid epidemic
Percocet, a short-acting combination of oxycodone and acetaminophen had been introduced by 1976, followed by long-acting formulations of morphine, such as MS-Contin in 1985. After that, 1995 marked the birth of what is the current opioid epidemic with the introduction of OxyContin®. From the 1800s through today, the addictive and dangerous nature of opiates has been demonstrated, attempted to be reduced, and at the center of health and social crises in the United States. Heroin is currently classified as a Schedule I drug by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). This means it has no medical purpose and comes with a high potential for abuse and addiction.How Long Does Heroin Stay in Your System?
- How much heroin you took
- When you took your last does of heroin
- Your physical health
- The rate of your metabolism
- Age, height, and weight
- Urine test: up to 48 hours
- Hair test: 3 months or more
- Saliva test: up to 48 hours
- Blood test: up to 48 hours
What Does Heroin Look Like?
Heroin looks different depending on its form. In pure form, heroin is a white powder that is fine like flour or sugar. When drug dealers cut heroin with other substances, it may have different shades to it — pink, brown, gray, and black. Black tar heroin is a popular, cheaper form of heroin that looks like a black sticky substance.
What Does Heroin Smell Like?
Like other opioids, heroin doesn’t have much of an odor in its pure form. What gives heroin a smell is the substance it’s cut with. Drug dealers mix heroin with a variety of chemicals, additives, and toxins. Depending on what’s in heroin, it might smell acidic like vinegar or cat urine.
What Does Heroin Taste Like?
Heroin doesn’t have much of a taste. Sometimes it has a bitter taste. Just like the smell of heroin, the taste of heroin takes on that of whatever substances it’s been cut with. These substances can range from baking soda and flour to rat poison and detergent. Depending on the cutting agent, heroin may taste sweet or acidic.
Where Does Heroin Come From?
- Afghanistan
- Southwest Asia
- Southeast Asia
- Mexico
- South America
- Myanmar
Street Names for Heroin
- Dope
- China White
- Big H
- H
- Smack
- Black Tar
- Black Pearl
- Dragon
- Snow
- Mexican Mud
- Brown Sugar
- Brown
- Black
- Chiva
- Chiba
- White Boy
- Whit Girl
How Do People Take Heroin?
Heroin is most commonly known as an injection drug. Many people dissolve it in water and inject heroin directly into their veins because it provides the quickest, most intense high. Heroin enters the brain within seconds when injecting it. Heroin can also be snorted or smoked. People smoke heroin by cooking it on a piece of foil or other means to inhale it. Heroin is snorted in powder form, similar to cocaine.
What Does Heroin Feel Like?
The euphoric feeling that heroin provides often leads to addiction. People who use heroin say the high of heroin is the best feeling they’ve ever had. This compels them to continuously chase that feeling again. The problem is that tolerance to heroin develops quickly. It becomes harder and harder to get the euphoric feeling of those first heroin uses.
Short-term effects of heroin may include:
- A heavy feeling
- A rush of pleasure
- Euphoria
- Intense relaxation
- Feeling uninhibited
- Warmth
- Slow breathing
- Dry mouth
- Disconnection from reality
After the initial high wears off, effects that can be more long-term and last hours or days include:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Headache
- Sleep issues
When you have an addiction to heroin, the pleasurable feelings get harder to obtain. Your central nervous system begins to depend on heroin to function. Without heroin, you go into withdrawal. At this point, you have a physical dependence on heroin. Using it becomes more about keeping withdrawal symptoms at bay rather than obtaining pleasure.
What Is Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT)
What Are Long-Term Effects of Heroin?
- HIV and hepatitis
- Infections of the heart lining and valves
- Heart attack
- Damaged blood vessels
- Infected sores
- Collapsed veins
- Inflamed stomach tissue
- Intestinal holes
- Depression and other mental health disorders
- Drug overdose
- Brain damage
- Liver and kidney issues
- Coma
Get Help for Heroin Addiction
- Individual, group, and family therapy
- Co-occurring disorders / dual diagnosis treatment
- Medical detox for drug and alcohol abuse
- Residential treatment, partial hospitalization programs, intensive outpatient programs, outpatient programs, and sober living residences
- Holistic treatment approaches like art therapy, music therapy, yoga, and nutrition
- Trauma therapies like EMDR
- Highly experienced behavioral health team
- Medication-assisted treatment (MAT)
- Home-like settings with plenty of amenities
References
- https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/epidemic/index.html
- https://www.ama-assn.org/system/files/issue-brief-increases-in-opioid-related-overdose.pdf
- https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/2020-06/Heroin-2020.pdf
- https://nida.nih.gov/publications/research-reports/heroin
- https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/data-and-analysis/bulletin/bulletin_1953-01-01_2_page004.html
- https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/003578.htm
- https://archives.drugabuse.gov/sites/default/files/146-160_Miller.pdf
- https://www.getsmartaboutdrugs.gov/sites/getsmartaboutdrugs.com/files/files/Heroin_R.pdf
- https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/institute_basic_biomedical_sciences/about_us/basic_research_human_health/Drug%20Abuse/drugabuse.html
- https://nida.nih.gov/publications/research-reports/heroin