What Type of Drug is Heroin?

Understanding Heroin

To answer the question, "What type of drug is heroin?", we need to delve into the basic definition, origin, and forms of this substance.

Definition and Origin

Heroin is an illegal and highly addictive drug processed from morphine, a substance extracted from the seed pod of certain varieties of poppy plants. It is a crude preparation of diamorphine, a semisynthetic product obtained by acetylation of morphine, which occurs as a natural product in opium: the dried latex of certain poppy species, such as Papaver somniferum L. Diamorphine is a narcotic analgesic used in the treatment of severe pain.

Diamorphine, the principal psychoactive constituent of heroin, behaves as an agonist at a complex group of receptors (the μ, κ, and δ subtypes) that are normally acted upon by endogenous peptides known as endorphins.

Heroin is listed in Schedule I of the United Nations 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs. Diamorphine is also included in a generic sense since the 1972 Protocol, which revised the 1961 Convention, extended control to esters and ethers of scheduled substances [2].

Street Names and Forms

Heroin is typically sold as a white or brownish powder that is "cut" with various substances like sugars, starch, powdered milk, or quinine. It can also come in the form of a black sticky substance referred to as “black tar heroin,” often mixed with other substances like sugar or powdered milk. This makes it difficult for users to gauge the actual amount of heroin consumed, thereby increasing the risk of overdose [3].

Common street names for heroin include:

• Smack
• H
• Skag
• Junk
• Black Tar
• Horse
• China White

Understanding the nature of heroin is crucial in recognizing the risks associated with its use, and the potential consequences for those who become addicted. The following sections will delve deeper into how this drug affects the body and brain, and the short-term and long-term effects of its use.

How Heroin Works

To understand the severe impact of heroin, it's essential to examine the drug's operation mechanism on the human body.

Binding to Opioid Receptors

Heroin, as a potent opiate, binds to and activates specific receptors in the brain known as mu-opioid receptors (MORs). Their activation leads to the release of the neurotransmitter dopamine, which plays a critical role in the brain's reward system and is responsible for the reinforcement of drug-taking behavior. The drug's ability to trigger such a significant dopamine release creates an intense sense of euphoria, often referred to as a 'high.'

Interestingly, heroin and some other drugs can activate neurons because their chemical structure mimics that of a natural neurotransmitter in the body. This similarity allows the drugs to attach onto and activate the neurons, leading to abnormal messages being sent through the network.

Effects on Brain and Body

Once heroin enters the brain, it is rapidly converted to morphine and binds to opioid receptors. This rapid binding and conversion lead to a surge of pleasurable sensation, known as a "rush". This rush or high is usually accompanied by a warm flushing of the skin, dry mouth, and a heavy feeling in the extremities, which may be accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and severe itching.

While the immediate sensation might seem pleasurable, the substance has harmful effects on the body, including slowed heart rate, drowsiness, and clouded mental function. Over time, the consistent use of the substance may lead to severe health complications, including liver and kidney disease, lung complications, mental disorders, and even death.

The explanation of how heroin works, both in terms of binding to opioid receptors and its effects on the brain and body, helps to shed light on why the drug is so addictive and damaging to the user's overall health. It further emphasizes the importance of education and prevention when it comes to heroin use.

Dangers of Heroin Use

Heroin, a highly addictive illegal drug, poses grave risks and severe consequences on the physical and mental health of users. Understanding these dangers can help in educating individuals about the serious implications of its use.

Addiction and Tolerance

Repeated use of heroin has severe implications on the brain. As heroin binds to and activates specific receptors in the brain, called mu-opioid receptors (MORs), it stimulates the release of the neurotransmitter dopamine, causing a reinforcement of drug-taking behavior. Over time, tolerance to the drug builds up, necessitating larger doses to achieve the same 'high'.

Moreover, persistent heroin use changes the physical structure and physiology of the brain, leading to long-term imbalances in neuronal and hormonal systems that are challenging to reverse. Some studies have indicated deterioration in the brain's white matter due to heroin use, impacting decision-making abilities, behavior regulation, and responses to stress.

Physical and Mental Health Effects

Chronic heroin use can result in significant physical and mental health effects. Apart from the development of substantial opioid tolerance and physiological dependence, brain changes that can affect decision-making capability are also common.

Withdrawal symptoms from heroin can include restlessness, muscle and bone pain, insomnia, diarrhea, vomiting, cold flashes, and leg movements. These symptoms may appear within hours after the last dose and peak between 24-48 hours, subsiding after about a week. In some cases, withdrawal signs may persist for months.

Furthermore, repeated heroin use often leads to heroin use disorder, characterized by uncontrollable drug-seeking behavior with no regard for the consequences. This disregard can lead to lifestyle choices that increase the risk of contracting transmittable diseases, including HIV and hepatitis C, especially when sharing injection equipment.

Understanding the dangers of heroin use is a crucial step towards preventing its misuse and addressing the issues surrounding this drug. It's important to remember that help and support are available for those struggling with heroin use, and recovery is possible.

Short-Term Effects of Heroin

Heroin, a potent substance that falls under the category of opioids, is notorious for its immediate and intense effects. These short-term effects are primarily due to the drug's ability to mimic the chemical structure of natural neurotransmitters in the body, allowing it to attach onto and activate neurons [5].

Initial Rush and Pleasurable Sensations

Once heroin enters the brain, it is rapidly converted to morphine and binds to opioid receptors. This binding process triggers a surge of pleasurable sensation known as a "rush". This rush is commonly associated with euphoria and a sense of wellbeing, which can be intensely addictive.

The rush from heroin is often accompanied by physical symptoms such as warm flushing of the skin, dry mouth, and a heavy feeling in the extremities. These sensations are part of the initial allure of heroin use, despite the harmful effects that follow.

Immediate Physical Symptoms

In the immediate aftermath of the initial rush, individuals who use heroin may experience a range of physical symptoms. These can include nausea, vomiting, severe itching, and clouded mental function. More dangerously, heroin use can lead to slowed heart function and severely decreased breathing, posing significant risks to an individual's health.

The immediate physical symptoms of heroin usage underscore the danger intrinsic to this powerful drug. Understanding these effects is essential in comprehending the gravity of heroin use and the risks it presents. It's important to remember that even short-term use can lead to serious consequences, including addiction and adverse health effects.

Long-Term Effects of Heroin

The prolonged use of heroin, a potent opioid, can lead to numerous adverse effects on both the physical structure and function of the brain, as well as the development of withdrawal symptoms and heroin use disorder.

Brain Structure and Function

Repeated heroin use changes the physical structure and physiology of the brain, leading to long-term imbalances in neuronal and hormonal systems that are challenging to reverse. Some studies have indicated deterioration in the brain's white matter due to heroin use, impacting decision-making abilities, behavior regulation, and responses to stress.

Chronic heroin use can result in physical and mental health effects, such as the development of significant opioid tolerance, physiological dependence, and brain changes that can affect decision-making capability. The brain becomes accustomed to the presence of the drug, and when the drug is absent, withdrawal symptoms can start.

Withdrawal Symptoms and Heroin Use Disorder

Withdrawal symptoms from heroin can include restlessness, muscle and bone pain, insomnia, diarrhea, vomiting, cold flashes, and leg movements. These symptoms may appear within hours after the last dose and peak between 24-48 hours, subsiding after about a week. In some cases, withdrawal signs may persist for months.

Furthermore, repeated heroin use often leads to heroin use disorder, characterized by uncontrollable drug-seeking behavior with no regard for the consequences. This disorder can severely impact an individual's life, leading to a variety of social, occupational, and health problems.

In summary, the long-term effects of heroin on the brain and body are severe and potentially life-threatening. The resulting addiction and withdrawal symptoms make it extremely difficult for individuals to stop using the drug, underscoring the importance of prevention and early intervention.

Heroin Overdose and Risks

A crucial part of understanding what type of drug heroin is involves knowing the risks associated with its use. This includes the potentially life-threatening reality of a heroin overdose and the dangers that come with sharing injection equipment.

Symptoms of Overdose

Heroin overdose is an extremely dangerous and potentially fatal event. The risk of overdose is high due to the fact that users are often unaware of the strength or contents of the drug they're using. Symptoms of an overdose can include severe respiratory depression and hypoxia, or compromised blood oxygen delivery to the brain and other tissues.

Further symptoms can include:

• Slow and shallow breathing
• Blue lips and fingernails
• Clammy skin
• Convulsions
• Coma
• Possible death

These symptoms occur when heroin use leads to respiratory depression, causing breathing to slow down or stop completely. This can ultimately result in brain damage, coma, or death [6].

Risks of Sharing Injection Equipment

Alongside the significant risk of overdose, heroin users who share injection equipment expose themselves to added dangers. These include the transmission of bloodborne diseases such as HIV and Hepatitis C. The risk is high given the drug's common route of administration [8].

Sharing needles or other injection equipment can lead to the transmission of:

• HIV
• Hepatitis C

These diseases, like the drug itself, can have serious and life-altering consequences.

In conclusion, the risks associated with heroin use are severe and multifaceted, highlighting the dangerous nature of this drug.

References

[1]: https://nida.nih.gov/publications/research-reports/heroin/what-heroin

‍[2]: https://www.emcdda.europa.eu/publications/drug-profiles/heroin_en

‍[3]: https://www.dea.gov/factsheets/heroin

‍[4]: https://nida.nih.gov/publications/research-reports/heroin/effects-of-heroin-on-body

‍[5]: https://nida.nih.gov/publications/drugs-brains-behavior-science-addiction/drugs-brain

‍[6]: https://nida.nih.gov/publications/research-reports/heroin/what-are-immediate-short-term-effects-heroin-use

‍[7]: https://nida.nih.gov/publications/research-reports/heroin/what-are-long-term-effects-heroin-use

‍[8]: https://americanaddictioncenters.org/opioids/heroin/effects-and-dangers