Shortly after heroin is taken, it crosses the blood brain barrier. It is then converted to morphine and binds with the opioid receptors. This causes the sensation of a “rush.” and begins the onset of the short term effects. The user’s respiration becomes depressed and their mental functioning becomes clouded. During the “high,” the user’s body suppresses pain and nausea or vomiting may occur.
The long term effects of heroin use in chronic users are detrimental to their health. Infectious diseases such as HIV and hepatitis B and C can be obtained through dirty needles. Substances that don’t dissolve can clog blood vessels that lead to the brain, lungs, liver, and kidneys. This causes small patches of cells in the vital organs to become infected or die, which can result in arthritis or other rheumatologic problems. Other health effects can include collapsed veins, bacterial infections, infection of the heart lining and valves, and child birth complications in women.
Heroin itself is one of the most addicting drugs of all. The addiction can take over the user’s life. The addict will eventually come to a point where everything evolves around obtaining and using the drug. This is particularly devastating because everything else becomes insignificant. With the psychological dependence comes the physical dependence. This is characterized by withdrawal symptoms which begin to occur 24 to 48 hours after the last use. The symptoms include restlessness, muscle and bone pain, insomnia, diarrhea, vomiting, cold flashes, and leg movements. These effects generally subside after a week, but have been known to linger for as long as a couple months.
There are a variety of treatments for addiction that include methadone programs, LAAM, buprenorphine, and behavioral therapies. Methadone programs have been around the longest and have been proven effective. Methadone is taken once a day orally. It suppresses cravings, enables patients to perceive pain and have emotional reactions, and blocks the effects of heroin if it is used while on methadone. Recently LAAM and buprenorphine have been developed which act just like methadone, but last up to 3 days and have some different advantages. Although these drugs are very effective, combining them with behavioral therapy has been proven the most effective means of extinguishing the addiction.
Is this drug a community health problem? I believe it is because with the potencies rising and the price becoming cheaper more people will begin try it or use it in place of other drugs. This can result in spread of HIV and other infectious diseases; also it can at the root of crimes and violence.
Heroin can also indirectly affect people not associated with the drug. Everyday people may fall victims of crimes resulting from heroin. Law enforcement can be drawn away from their duties to respond to those crimes. The legislature may have to draw up new laws to deal with the problems. Tax money is spent to try to stop the spread of heroin use. Also, insurance premiums may increase with the rise of heroin addicts being admitted to costly treatment programs.
Lastly, I must give my critique if this is a reliable source of information; which I can definitely say it is. This article is published by the National Institute on Drug Abuse which is a subdivision of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Their web site lists related article and compiles facts and data on each individual drug. Each research article has a glossary of the key words listed throughout the article. They also list the references which they have taken their data from. They don’t give any specific doctor quotes, but they do refer to documented studies which have been done. In addition, there are web sites and a phone number to call for additional information about Heroin and other drugs. All in all this is a very complete article on heroin and the problems that follow.
Work Cited
Leshner, Alan I. “Heroin Abuse and Addiction,” Research Report Series. Reprinted Sept. 2000. NADA. WWW.Drugabuse.gov/researchReports/Heroin/Heroin.hlml
