As you may know, heroin is a highly addictive illegal drug, but what exactly is heroin? Firstly, heroin is classified as a depressant drug. A depressant "suppresses body actions and it brings on sleep" (Dolan 65). This drug is the most abused of the opiates worldwide as well as addictive in one-fourth of its users.
Heroin is produced through a special process. Heroin comes from the poppy flower which appears in places such as Asia, Europe, and Mexico. "Opium is found in the seedpot of this flower" (Hoobler 39). The opium is boiled along with other chemicals. It then becomes a morphine base. After laboratory refining, heroin is produced. Some heroin is combined with other substances to form new types. These substances include starch, sugar, powdered milk, and/or strychnine. The substances in heroin are not always known which can eventually pose as a problem.
There are three main ways in which heroin is administered.
English: Pre-war Bayer heroin bottle, originally c...
Heroin Harrison Act
Heroin seized in Now Zad district, Helmand provinc...One way is injection. Addicts can inject up to four times a day. Intravenous or vein injection gives the highest level of intensity and the quickest euphoria (state of happiness). It could be as quickly as seven to eight seconds. Intramuscular or muscle injection produces a euphoria in about five to eight minutes. Heroin can also be smoked or sniffed. The euphoria for these types of administration occurs in ten to fifteen minutes.
Along with the use of heroin come many unpleasant effects to the mind and body. Shortly after the drug is taken it reaches the brain and the drug turns into morphine. A "surge of pleasurable sensation" known as a rush occurs (Narconon). The abuser may also experience nausea, vomiting, and the temporary relief of pain. A very dangerous side effect is the decrease in mental functions. This will also lower your inhibitions...