Heroin Addiction and Its Effects - 698 Words

Heroin By paul brady INDEX * INTRODUCTION * HEROIN * WHAT ARE ITS SHORT-TERM EFFECTS? * WHAT ARE ITS LONG-TERM EFFECTS? * CONCLUSION * BIBLIOGRAPHY INTRODUCTION The aim of this assignment is to explain about the drug Heroin, its addiction, describing its short and long term effects. Which are illustrated in diagrams below and to give a better understanding of the drug. This topic of discussion has taken an interest as Heroin addiction is on the rise in Longford and it has led to the fatality of one person of whom I went to school with due to a Heroin overdose. Heroin Heroin is a highly addictive drug which comes from morphine, which is obtained from the opium poppy. It is a â€Å"downer†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦show more content†¦Chronic users may develop collapsed veins, infection of the heart lining and valves, abscesses, cellulites, and liver disease. Pulmonary complications, including various types of pneumonia, may result from the poor health condition of the abuser, as well as from heroin’s depressing effects on respiration. Street heroin may have additives that do not dissolve resulting in clogging the blood vessels that lead to the lungs, liver, kidneys, or brain. This can cause infection or even death of small patches of cells in vital organs. With regular heroin use, tolerance develops. Abusers must use more heroin to achieve the same intensity or effect. Higher doses are used over time, physical dependence and addiction develop. With physical dependence, the body has adapted to the presence of the drug and withdrawal symptoms may o ccur if use is reduced or stopped. Withdrawal, which in regular abusers may occur as early as a few hours after the last administration, produces drug craving, restlessness, muscle and bone pain, insomnia, diarrhea and vomiting, cold flashes with goose bumps (â€Å"cold turkey†), kicking movements (â€Å"kicking the habit†), and other symptoms. Major withdrawal symptoms peak between 48 and 72 hours after the last does and subside after about a week. Sudden withdrawal by heavily dependent users who are in poor health can be fatal. CONCLUSION Heroin is a highly dangerous and addictive drug which has serious physical and physiological effectsShow MoreRelatedThe Effects of Heroin Addiction770 Words   |  3 PagesHeroin is illegal and highly addictive. (Dupont, 1997). It remains as the most common drug among drug, among all the opiates (Lalander, 2003). The opiate is made from morphine. Morphine occurs naturally in seed pops of various poppy plants. In most cases, it is sold as a brown or black sticky powder. 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