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Research Paper - Heroin Abuse

 

            Heroin is an illegal and highly addictive drug that is processed from morphine. "Morphine is a naturally occurring substance that is abstracted from the Asian opium poppy plan. Heroin usually appears as a white or brown powder or as a black sticky substance known as "black tar heroin" (National Institute on Drug Abuse). Pure heroin can be snorted or smoked and appeals to new drug users because it eliminates the need for injection. "Black tar" heroin is predominantly produced in Mexico and sold in the U.S. areas west of the Mississippi River." (NIDA) Impure heroin, or "black tar" heroin, is usually injected into the veins, muscles, or under the skin. According to the National Survey on Drug use and Health (NSDUH), in 2012 669,000 Americans reported using heroin in the past year, a number that has been on the rise since 2007.
             There are many serious physical and mental effects that come with using heroin. Immediate effects of heroin occur once the heroin enters the body. Abusers typically report feeling a "rush" or pleasurable sensation. Every user can feel a different effect of this drug. Depending on how much heroin is injected, the intensity of the "rush" depends on how quickly the drug enters the brain and binds to opioid receptors. With heroin, the rush is usually accompanied by a warm flushing of the skin, dry mouth, and a heavy feeling in the extremities, which may be accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and severe itching. After the initial effects, users usually will be drowsy for several hours; mental function is clouded;.
             heart function slows; and breathing is also severely slowed, sometimes enough to be life-threatening. Slowed breathing can also lead to coma and permanent brain damage (National Library of Medicine).
             In addition to the immediate effects of heroin, there are also many serious long-term effects that can come with using heroin.


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