Heroin is commonly viewed as one of the most dangerous drugs in the entire world as it is the number one cause for overdoses in a variety of different countries. With that being said, it is imperative to consider treatment if you or someone that you know is suffering from an addiction. Aside from the statistics associated with overdosing from heroin, it is important to consider how many people are affected by the drug and how dangerous it is to the general public. Below is information pertaining to heroin addiction and how an overdose can drastically change your life and the lives of others around you.
International Heroin Statistics
Dealing with heroin on a national scale is quite a task, especially with the ample amount of people in different countries that consistently use the drug.
1. It is estimated that at least 9.2 million people in the world use heroin on a regular basis.
2. The majority of the heroin is derived from Afghanistan at 93%.
3. With an export value of approximately $4 billion, one quarter of these funds were given to opium farmers and the other three quarters are gathered by drug traffickers.
4. There are millions of individuals who seek sobriety once they have begun using heroin and other opium derived substances.
5. With that being said over 18% of the individuals who enroll in rehabilitation programs are addicted to heroin.
What is Heroin?
Heroin is an incredibly addictive drug that is illegal to carry, distribute, and use. There are millions of addicts around the world who constantly have the need to use this drug and continue to use it in fear of experiencing the withdrawal symptoms. Created out of poppy plants like every other type of opium (including morphine), it provides a warm and euphoric feeling to its users. The pod of a poppy is refined to create a morphine-like substance and then is further refined to make different types of heroin.
The Growth of Heroin Use
One of the largest detriments associated with this drug is that it is so widely available that more and more individuals are becoming regular users. With that being said, the growth of heroin use has been on the rise throughout the past decade. Over 3.5 million men and women in the United States reported that they have had at least one experience of heroin use in their lifetime. The trends associated with the growth in heroin have recently been researched as more families are being burdened by deaths from this drug. With dozens of actors and actresses who lose their lives to heroin overdoses, it has certainly brought attention to the growing problem. Some states in the U.S. have seen a 41% increase in their heroin deaths between the years of 2011 and 2012.
The Immediate Dangers
Most would assume that since heroin is one of the most infamous drugs in the world, people would avoid it. There are dozens of immediate dangers that users may encounter even from their first experience with the drug. The aspect that gets individuals addicted is the rushing sensation of happiness and euphoria which is soon followed by vomiting, severe itching, and an incredibly dry mouth.
Once the high has faded, users will be incredibly drowsy due to the fact that all of the functions in the body will begin to slow down, especially breathing and heart rate. This is generally when the user begins to experience the “comedown” which is when their body tells them that they need more of the substance to feel the same euphoric feeling as before. If the body does not get more heroin, it goes into a state of withdrawal.
Aside from the dangers associated with the drug itself, how it is administered is a cause for concern as well. The majority of heroin users have the tendency to inject the drug into their bodies, leading to the use of shared needles. One of the most lethal viruses transmitted by bodily fluid is AIDS and once one user uses the same needle as another user, it is possible to contract the disease. There are other infections to be concerned with in terms of sharing needles such as Hepatitis and other blood transmitted diseases. Essentially users will either be dying from the heroin or a disease that they may contract.
The Symptoms of Heroin Withdrawal
Depending on the length of time that a person has been using heroin, the symptoms may be more or less severe. Regardless, they are equally as detrimental to the organs in the human body and their regular functioning processes. There are a variety of both physical and mental symptoms that will be experienced during this time if the user does not receive another “fix”. Some of the symptoms include:
• Restlessness
• Body aches
• Bone pain
• Vomiting
• Severe stomach cramping
• Diarrhea
• Hypothermia
• Coma or death