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Last year, more than 500,000 people
used heroin, according to the
National Institutes on Health.
Additionally, 3.8 million people
report having used it at least once
in their lives. Heroin is highly
addictive and extremely fast acting.
It is so addictive that even after
just three days, it is possible to
experience withdrawal symptoms if
you stop taking it.
Heroin abuse is associated with serious health
conditions, including fatal overdose, spontaneous
abortion, collapsed veins, and, particularly in
users who inject the drug, infectious diseases,
including HIV/AIDS and hepatitis.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse,
the short-term effects of heroin abuse appear soon
after a single dose and disappear in a few hours.
After an injection of heroin, the user reports
feeling a surge of euphoria ("rush") accompanied by
a warm flushing of the skin, a dry mouth, and heavy
extremities. Following this initial euphoria, the
user goes "on the nod," an alternately wakeful and
drowsy state. Mental functioning becomes clouded due
to the depression of the central nervous system.
Long-term effects of heroin appear after repeated
use for some period of time. Chronic users may
develop collapsed veins, infection of the heart
lining and valves, abscesses, cellulitis, and liver
disease. Pulmonary complications, including various
types of pneumonia, may result from the poor health
condition of the abuser, as well as from heroin’s
depressing effects on respiration.
In addition to the effects of the drug itself,
street heroin may have additives that do not readily
dissolve and result in clogging the blood vessels
that lead to and settle in the lungs, liver,
kidneys, or brain. This can cause infection or even
death of small patches of cells in vital organs. |
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 With regular heroin use, tolerance
develops in the body. This means the
abuser must use more heroin to
achieve the same intensity of
effect. As higher doses are used
over time, physical dependence and
addiction develop. With physical
dependence, the body has adapted to
the presence of the drug and
withdrawal symptoms may occur if use
is reduced or stopped.
Withdrawal, which in regular abusers
may occur as early as a few hours
after the last administration,
produces an insatiable drug craving,
restlessness, muscle and bone pain,
insomnia, diarrhea and vomiting,
cold flashes with goose bumps,
kicking movements, and other
symptoms. Major withdrawal symptoms
peak between 48 and 72 hours after
the last dose and subside after
about a week. Sudden withdrawal by
heavily dependent users who are in
poor health is occasionally fatal,
although heroin withdrawal is
considered less dangerous than
alcohol or barbiturate withdrawal. |
