Dangers and Health Effects of Heroin

When English scientists first synthesized heroin in 1874, they were looking for a painkiller that was not as addictive as other opiates like morphine. Heroin, however, proved to be even more addictive than the other drugs in the opium family.

Heroin is stronger than morphine, but is otherwise very similar to it. In fact, the human body converts all heroin into morphine.

Patterns of use

Heroin as a street drug seems to come back into style every few decades. For example, it was very much in vogue in the late 1970s, and then dropped off during the 1980s crack epidemic.

In recent years, it has made a comeback - fueled in part by appearances in film such as Pulp Fiction and Trainspotting, publicity associated with the deaths of celebrities Jonathan Melvoin and Kurt Cobain, and the fashion industry's promotion of the "heroin chic" look.

Many young people and upscale users mistakenly believe that it is safe to use heroin as long as you do not inject it and share needles, which can lead to the contraction of hepatitis and HIV. A purer form of heroin is now available to them, making it possible for them to get high by snorting or smoking the drug.

Most heroin is smuggled into the United States from the Golden Crescent, which includes Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan; or the Golden Triangle, which includes Laos, Myanmar, and Thailand.

Addiction

One of the greatest dangers associated with heroin is its power to create addiction. Heroin addiction interferes with normal living, and is accompanied by the risk of being arrested and jailed.

In studies involving rats, monkeys, and pigeons, scientists have found that animals will choose heroin over food and drink. Even as they die from starvation and exhaustion, the animals will continue to push the same button thousands of times in a row to get more heroin.

Some people can use heroin without developing addictions, but others get hooked after their initial exposure. There may be a genetic component to addiction, the so-called "addictive personality," but so far, scientists do not fully understand it. Risk factors for addictions can include mental health issues such as post-traumatic stress disorder bipolar disorder, personality disorder, anxiety and panic disorder, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Having a family history of substance abuse also increases an individual's risk of becoming addicted.

Health risks

The other two most dangerous aspects of heroin use are overdose and organ damage.

Heroin addicts are more likely to die of overdose than are most other types of addicts because their bodies build up a tolerance to the drug. The more they use, the more they need to use to achieve a high. As they increase their dose, they risk exposing themselves to lethal quantities of the drug.

Even the purest street heroin is usually 85 percent filler. If the user is lucky, the filler is sugar, powered milk, starch, or quinine. If the user is unlucky, the filler is powdered soup, curry or gravy, or even powdered bricks. These substances can result in organ damage and death. Heroin has even been known to have been smuggled inside the carcasses of dead chickens, which led to staph infections in users.

Heroin slows down the body. In slowing down digestion, heroin causes severe constipation. Many addicts live on sugary foods, because trying to digest meats and fats becomes too painful. Addicts often neglect their health and hygiene, and develop keloids, which are scars that result from using needles. Heroin may suppress the immune system, making users more susceptible to diseases.

Heroin abusers are prone to lung congestion and infections of the heart valves. There is some evidence that heroin causes brain damage and the inability to experience pleasure, leading to permanent depression.