Opium has been with us for a very long time. In fact, it’s been with the human race since 3400 B.C in Mesopotamia. It’s modern from; heroin was synthesized in the late 19th century by Alder Wright, an English chemist. He experimented on rabbits and discovered that it caused ‘great prostration, fear and sleepiness’. Since then, it had been re-synthesized, sold as a commercial drug and used as an excuse in the Opium Wars in China.

In modern times, heroin is an illegal substance and is mostly produced in the Afghanistan/Pakistan region. A U.N survey in 1999 discovered 350 square miles of the country is used for poppy cultivation. The Golden Triangle, a region which straddles along the borders of Thailand, Vietnam and Laos, comes to a close second.

There have been many cases of heroin abuse all over the world. In the United States alone, four out of ten suicides are caused directly or indirectly by heroin abuse. Which gives rise to the question, why do they keep doing it?

Well to understand why heroin abuse is rampant, we’ll have to find out the answers of other questions too:

1) How is heroin abused? There are many ways, namely being snorted up the nose and intravenously injected. The former is much more popular among recreational drug users and the latter is used for more ‘kick’ due to it being higher in intensity. Heroin abuse also involved smoking the substance on a spoon placed on top of a flame and sniffing it.

2) What happens when it’s used? Once heroin enters the system, it converts to morphine and binds to the receptors in the brain. This process causes the user to feel a ‘rush’, which duration and intensity is dependent on the dosage and preparation of the drug. The user will feel calm, relaxed and his or her breathing will slow down. What comes afterward is usually nausea and vomiting.

The main reason that heroin abuse is still widespread is also its long-term side effect. Heroin is vey addictive. It addles with the mind of the user, causing them to go into withdrawal. At this point, they’ll be willing to do anything if it means getting a fix. This is why heroin is a dangerous substance that you should stay away from.

Teen heroin abuse skyrockets – Students create music to promote prevention

Rethinking the War on Drugs

Filed under: heroin abuse

That is especially true of drug abuse and addiction. Indeed, the problem is so complex that it has produced not just one clear, simple, wrong solution but two: the "drug war" (prohibition plus massive, undifferentiated enforcement) and proposals for …
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Indian State Finds Itself in Tight Grip of Addiction

Filed under: heroin abuse

Yet when Punjab held state elections this year, the candidates rarely spoke about drug abuse. In fact, India's Election Commission said that some political workers were actually giving away drugs to try to buy votes. More than 110 pounds of heroin and …
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Addicts and treatment providers plead to halt state funding cuts

Filed under: heroin abuse

By Rachel Dissell, The Plain Dealer COLUMBUS, Ohio — A bus loaded with more than 50 people involved with drug addiction and its treatment headed to Columbus this week to persuade lawmakers to reverse an expected $ 6.2 million in cuts to their programs.
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