Substance Abuse

Heroin

What Is It…  Highly addictive drug that is processed from morphine  Morphine: comes from the opium poppy, a flower that grows in Asia, Mexico, and South America.  It is a “downer” or depressant that affects the brain’s pleasure systems and interferes with the brain’s ability to perceive pain.  Average Street Prices / Amount / Quality  $ grams – low  $ grams – high  $ grams - mid

 Pure heroin is a white powder  A bitter taste  Street heroin may vary in color from white to dark brown because of impurities or additives.  There is a dark brown or black form of the drug, as dense as roofing tar or coal, known as "black tar." Descriptions :

Injecting Forms of Ingestion: Snorting aka “mainline” Smoking

 1874, first synthesize from morphine in a lab in Britain.  1898, Bayer began producing heroin commercially  Heroin was widely used in medicine in the early part of the 20th Century, until its addictive potential was recognized  Promoting heroin as a non-addictive painkiller and cough medicine for children and as a cure for morphine addiction  There have been at least two major heroin epidemics in the United States  The first one began after World War II and the second began in the late 1960s.  Second epidemic, heroin use was prevalent among enlisted men serving in Vietnam during the Vietnam War. History:

Street/Slang Terms: o Mack o Horse o Brown sugar o Dope o H o Junk o Skag o Skunk o White horse o China white o Mexican black tar

Behavioral Impact:  Most habitual users are incapable of:  Concentration  Learning  Clear thought  Rarely are they able to hold a job.  They are apathetic indifferent to consequences, and unable to sustain personal relationships.  Inability to honestly earn enough to meet their drug needs leads to crime.

Pinpoint size pupils Bluish skin Bluish fingernails Looseness of the muscles Clammy and cold skin Lowered blood pressure and heart rate Coma Severe respiratory distress Seizures Death. OVERDOSE:

Anxiety Increased respiratory rate Sweating Lacrimation (tearing or crying) Yawning Rhinorrhea (runny nose) Piloerection (goosebumps) Restlessness Hypertension (abnormally HBP)  Muscle and bone pain Withdrawal:  Anorexia (eating disorder where people try to starve themselves)  Irritability  Dilated pupils (larger than normal pupils)  Insomnia  Nausea and vomiting  Diarrhea  Weakness  Abdominal cramps  Tachycardia (rapid heartbeat)  Muscle spasms

Rate of Dependency or Abuse, 2010

 Detox  Methadone programs  Buprenorphine and other medications  Behavioral therapies Treatment: