Heroin

Heroin

Heroin is a very powerful and dangerous drug that results in addiction. Psychological dependence surfaces after only 2-3 times of using. Physical dependence arrives a little later.

Heroin is a highly addictive substance and causes severe physical dependence. When an addict stops or cuts down use, significant withdrawal begins. Withdrawal may start as soon as a couple of hours after the last dose. Withdrawal symptoms include pain and aches in the bones and muscles, vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, anxiety, depression and pronounced discomfort.

The street names of heroin are skag, H, horse, junk, dope, smack and others. Addicts are often referred to as junkies. “Chasing the dragon” is an expression standing for inhaling the fumes and vapors from heated heroin, done by holding a flame underneath foil on which the drug is placed.

Heroin is an opiate and binds to opioid receptors in the brain. The drug, classified as a hard drug due to the physical dependence that it generates, is derived from the poppy seeds. Heroin is a painkiller and produces a state of euphoria. The rush is what attracts people to using.

The drug can be smoked, snorted, ingested and injected. More often than not, heroin is associated with intravenous use. In IV use, heroin is dissolved in water in, typically, a spoon and made to boil. Then, it is injected into a vein. Long time users may struggle to find a vein for hours because repeated injections cause collapsed veins.

Dark Ocean of Habit and Addiction. Illustration by Elena

In popular culture, heroin use is depicted in several movies and songs. For example, Trainspotting follows the lives of a group of heroin addicts. Perhaps the moment in the movie that best demonstrates the horror of addiction is the baby of Allison, a heroin addict, dies from neglect. Allison runs and screams, followed by injecting more heroin.

Another movie about the horrors of heroin addiction is Requiem for a Dream, in which the lives of four people are destroyed by drugs. The protagonist of the movie loses his arm due to infection and gangrene because of injecting.

The shows Intervention and Intervention Canada show addicts who agreed to participate in a documentary about addiction. While the show centers on many addictions, including alcoholism, heroin addiction is portrayed in many episodes. At the end of an episode, friends

Sadly enough, the dangerous drug has been glamorized. The trend “heroin chic”, pioneered by supermodel Kate Moss, shows models and scenery associated with heroin use.

Black Tar Heroin: The Dark End of the Streets is a documentary showcasing the lives of several addicts. Addicts often turn to selling drugs and/or prostitution to support their habit.