heroin
All content is checked by medical journalists.Heroin is a powder that is obtained through chemical processes from the raw opium of the opium poppy (Papaver somniferum). It contains psychoactive substances that have a euphoric and numbing effect. Heroin and other morphine-like substances (such as the fully synthetic methadone) belong to the group of opiates and opioids. Heroin is an illegal addictive substance - possession, cultivation and trading in heroin is prohibited under the Narcotics Act and is prosecuted.
Presumably, the history of the opium poppy as a remedy and narcotic drug goes back a very long time. Already 4,000 BC. the Sumerians and Egyptians are said to have used the medicinal and intoxicating properties of the plant. In 1898 it was produced on a large scale and marketed as a pain reliever and cough suppressant. When the drug became known to be addictive, the drug disappeared from the market in the 1920s.
The heroin high
Heroin acts on the central nervous system through a number of binding sites in the brain. Especially with intravenous injection, it triggers a brightening (euphoric) mood extremely quickly, the so-called "rush" or "flash".If the concentration of the drug in the brain decreases again, a second, dream-like phase follows, in which users switch between sleepiness and wakefulness. Everything seems to be wrapped in cotton wool. In this twilight state, breathing and cardiac activity in particular are greatly reduced, so that respiratory paralysis can lead to death.
Recently, heroin has been smoked and sniffed rather than injected by addicts. The reason is probably the increased risk of infection for AIDS and hepatitis associated with the injection (when sharing needles).
Heroin - the consequences
Regular use of heroin induces very strong mental and physical addiction. It is one of the most addictive drugs! The pronounced acclimatization of the body to the mood-enhancing (euphoric) effect ensures that the addicts need more and more to get the desired kick. Sometimes they increase the dose 40 times compared to the initial dose.
Physical withdrawal symptoms include:
- Restlessness and insomnia
- Heat-cold-shower
- increased heart rate
- muscle pain
- Diarrhea and vomiting
- goose bumps
- dizziness
- Stomach cramps
- watery eyes and runny nose
The withdrawal symptoms are so severe that users soon take heroin permanently to avoid the symptoms.
In the long run, regular heroin consumption can lead to serious consequential damage: In addition to a number of bacterial infections such as abscesses, these include, for example, heart damage, lung attacks and viral infections (hepatitis B and C, AIDS), tooth decay and tooth loss, liver and vein damage. However, the increase in dose also leads to increased drug-related crime, which ultimately leads heroin addicts more and more into the social offside.
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