Heroin is part of the opioid family of drugs that has been developed to deliver pain relief. It suppresses the central nervous system and results in a feeling of warmth and bliss. Heroin itself is a lot like morphine, but it works much more quickly. Intravenous heroin can begin working in less than 10 seconds.
1. It’s Addictive
Most people who take heroin will become addicted to it within 12 weeks of consistent use. It’s actually processed from morphine, so it enhances the effects of this drug. Thanks to the Asian opium poppy plant seed pods, it is a naturally occurring substance.
2. Injection Is Effective
Heroin tends to enter the brain very quickly. To experience a fast high, injecting it is the next effective administration process after IV solutions. Heroin can also be snorted or sniffed and some people prefer to smoke it. Any administration method can result in addiction and severe health problems when the drug is abused.
3. Everyone is Different
Heroin is abused by everyone. It doesn’t matter if someone comes from a wealthy family or one that is affected by extreme poverty. Anyone can become addicted and heroin affects all races, genders, and ethnicities equally. The one place of common ground in users, however, is that most of them try heroin for the first time in their late teens or early 20’s.
4. The Body Adjusts
As with most painkillers, the human body begins to adjust to the intake of heroin so that it is less effective. This means that users need to take more heroin to get the same effect over time and this enhances the addictive effects of the drug. After 12 weeks, withdrawal symptoms can begin in as little as 2 hours after taking a hit of the drug.
5. There Are Many Risks
Although overdosing is considering the primary risk of using heroin, there are a number of other health risks associated with using this drug as well. It can damage the heart lining and valves and this damage can lead to a dangerous infection. The liver processes the drug to filter it out and that filter action can damage the organ as well.
6. You’ve Got 72 Hours
It generally takes about 72 hours for withdrawal symptoms from heroin to reach their peak. After this peak, it can be several months of temptation and addition withdrawal symptoms before someone can be completely clean. This is why there are such high recidivism rates from those who are attempting to quit.
7. A Lot of People Use It
More than 13 million people in the world today are believed to be abusing opioids every day. About 75% of these people are using heroin exclusively or as a second preference drug. In its purse form, it is a white powder that is very fine and then toxic ingredients turn it into an unpredictable drug that may kill because of its toxicity.
8. Heroin Was Everywhere
Because it was such an effective painkiller and cough suppressant, heroin used to be widely available in a number of products that could be purchased over the counter. It was the active ingredient in many cough syrups and was often used to help people get off of morphine.
9. It’s Expensive
After an addiction has been formed to this drug, it can be very expensive to maintain. At the height of someone who is trying to functionally live with this addiction, it may cost them upwards of $250 per day to support their heroin habit.
10. It’s Also Still Everywhere
Despite awareness campaigns, kids are still using heroin, though not as often as other drugs. About 3% of high school seniors say that they have tried it at least once in the past year. Many of them will try the drug for the first time not at home or at a friend’s house, but in the friendly confines of their school.
11. Detoxing From Heroin Isn’t Rehab
Heroin is a unique drug because it creates physical and psychological dependence. Being able to physically detox from heroin is just part of the rehabilitation process. If the psychological effects of the drug are not addressed, then there is a 90% chance that the former addict will become a current addict once again.
12. Most People Don’t Seek Help
It takes up to 14 years of heroin use for an addict to finally admit to themselves that they have a problem and will then seek treatment. This is why it is so important for the family and friends of someone who is hooked on heroin to encourage them to find the help that they need. Even so, only around 20% of people every seek out some form of help for their heroin addiction.
13. It’s Got Lots of Nicknames
If you hear people talking about heroin on the street, they’ll usually call it something else. Heroin is referred to as Horse, H, White Horse, Chiva, Train, and even junk. This is designed to disguise the use of the drug and actually helps with the denial of a problem. It’s easy to say you don’t have a problem when you’re hooked on train. It’s not so easy when you say that you’re hooked on heroin.
14. It Dulls the Senses
Heroin makes the body numb over time, which means it dulls many of a person’s senses. It is very common for the sense of smell to disappear with a long term heroin addiction. Taste is another common issue. It can even affect the body’s ability to experience sexual satisfaction. When addiction is over, then the numbness begins to end and that causes a flood of stimulation that can be as overwhelming as the addiction.
15. Methadone Doesn’t Help
Just like heroin was used to help cure a morphine addiction, methadone is used to help addicts get over heroin. The problem is that methadone can be just as addictive as heroin can be. The difference is that methadone withdrawal can actually kill someone if they become addicted, while heroin withdrawal might be difficult and painful, but it is easily survivable.