Heroin—What Is it and Why Is it Used?

Heroin
(Photo by Evdokimov Maxim/Shutterstock.com)

Heroin is a drug that was originally introduced to the masses as an over-the-counter medicine for common ailments like a cold or muscle pains. This was pre-1924 times when heroin was adopted broadly as the go-to remedy for minor, physical problems people faced. Heroin was also used to withdraw drug addicts from other, dangerous drugs. This backfired and the addicts then became addicted to and abused heroin. After the 1924 ban on heroin manufacturing, buying and selling, the drug was officially made illegal. Heroin is an opioid drug which comes from the seed pod of the poppy plant. It is similar in structure to other, legal, prescription opioids widely used today such as oxycontin, codeine, and hydrocodone, (also known as Vicodin).

Heroin causes a similar effect to how a body responds when it is injured, which is to release endorphins. However, heroin is a much more deadly opioid than one might initially think. Heroin-related deaths and abuse cases have increased over the past decade, mainly from individuals abusing opioid medications that are legal and then turning to heroin for a stronger high when their current drug of choice is not giving them as strong of a high as before.

I met two heroin abusers who explained how they, along with several others, got their start in this deadly game. They started with regular opioids for relief from a physical ailment, like the ones mentioned above. They began taking the medication regularly which then caused a dependency on the drugs. They then experimented with marijuana which, for them, didn’t do the trick and left them wanting more of a downer (brain and central nervous system depressor). After finding out that there was a drug called heroin and it was cheap and powerful, that was the end for them. They got hooked on heroin—snorting it, smoking it, and injecting it daily. They became real-life zombies—their hair began to fall out, and their teeth began to rot. They ended up losing their jobs and residences—they were homeless.

They mentioned that it all started with a lack of moderation with the original opioids they were prescribed. The feeling they described was, “I was constantly bordering on awake and day-dreaming, nothing really seems real because you don’t know if you are asleep or not. I felt that I was always being driven to get more drugs—it didn’t feel like a choice. After I started taking a lot of benzos, I didn’t feel it working anymore so I started smoking pot to calm me down, then that started to not work as well. So when my buddy said he knew a guy with something stronger, I was already so hooked on the downer high that I couldn’t resist.”

Heroin is one of the most dangerous drugs in the world. It’s extremely addictive and completely destroys the body long-term. If you or someone you know is suffering from drug abuse and addiction, contact Narconon UK. Their all natural, holistic drug rehabilitation program has saved thousands from addiction with innumerable successes worldwide. Contact them today.


Source:

https://heroin.net/about/a-brief-history-of-heroin/#illegal

AUTHOR

Devin

Devin was born and raised in East Baton Rouge, Louisiana where drug and alcohol abuse was a normal occurrence in families especially after Hurricane Katrina left hundreds of families homeless with easy access to drugs and alcohol to “relieve their pain.“ He was introduced to drugs at a young age and has now been drug-free for over 6 years.

NARCONON UNITED KINGDOM

DRUG EDUCATION AND REHABILITATION