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Essay on history of drugs
Essay on history of drugs
Essay on history of drugs
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A common recreational drug that is illegally dealt is Heroin. To many this drug is known by a few slang/street names, some being; smack, brown stone and junk (Tracy, 2012). Heroin is a highly addictive opiate that caused many different issues regarding physical and mental health. It can be consumed in 3 different ways: snorting, injecting and smoking. The original purpose of heroin is far different then the purpose that it is used for today in society. In 1874, heroin was first produced from morphine and 24 years later began its journey in the field of medicine to help morphine addicted patients (Scott, 1998). After use of the medicine it became present that the drug was just as addictive as morphine and was in turn creating patients to become addicted to the new drug. In 1902, doctors ceased the use of heroin in the medical field and a few years following, 8 years later, the first case of a heroin addict was admitted to a hospital for treatment (Scott, 1998). The drug is no longer used for a medical purposes but is still present in the legal drug selling market. Many countries have stiff penalties if caught in possession of or are selling heroin, because this drug is listed as a Class A drug (“Opium, Morphine, Heroin”, n.d.). The physical and chemical properties make heroin a desirable drug. It is highly addictive and fast acting, which lure users in. The first time one uses the drug it is said to cause disagreeable feelings and nausea. But following further use it causes a sudden rush in your brain, lasting 1 to 2 minutes, that feels as if it is relieving all the tension one has, followed by a calm and relaxed state that can last a few hours (“Heroin in the Brain”, n.d.). These feelings of satisfaction and ease make this drug ... ... middle of paper ... ... a few hours, the overall impact of consuming this drug can inevitably lead to serious complications and illnesses. Before consuming or breaking down to pressure, it would be wise to become educated on the subject of heroin. Its original intend failed to be a cure to addiction but was contrary to the belief, and ended up being highly addictive as its original component, morphine. From the reasoning and scientific evidence displayed above, heroin is a molecule that disrupts the natural order and balance of life, leaving behind a path of destruction. It is also important to note that heroin addiction is treatable and is manageable with the help of a professional (“Heroin in the Brain”, n.d.). Whether it is snorting it, smoking it or injecting it there is no okay amount or consumption of this drug that will benefit an individual. Its nature is too disrupt and destroy.
Before the mid 1900’s the Harrison Narcotics Tax Act was formed to tax those making, importing or selling any derivative of opium or coca leaves. In the 1920s, doctors became aware of the highly addictive nature of opioids and started to avoid treating patients with them (Center, 2004). In 1924 heroin became illegal. However according to a history published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 2003, anesthesiologists opened "nerve block clinics" in the 1950s and 1960s to manage pain without having to resort to surgery (Meldrum, 2003). This push for treating pain without surgery was a major factor in the opioid epidemic we see today. In 2008 the overdose death rate was almost four times the rate in 1999, and the sales of prescription pain relievers in 2010 were four times higher than in 1999 (Paulozzi et al, 2011). The substance use disorder treatment admission rate is also greater than in 1999, with it having been six times higher in 2009. Chasing Heroin’s claims surrounding the fear of prescribing pain medications is accurate as you see an increase in public policies surrounding opiate use in the early 1900’s. The climbing rates of overdose deaths and the increased amount of people seeking addiction treatment suggests that the fear of prescription opiates was
It is eight a.m. and she has been up for hours at this point. The diarrhea is uncontrollable and her stomach is killing her. She needs to vomit again. Her bed is covered in sweat. Her body feels hot, but she is freezing cold. Her hands are shaking. Her legs are restless and her entire body aches as if she had been run over by a semi. She feels weak, both physically and mentally. Tears stream down her face because she hates herself. Addiction is the reason her mother has custody of her daughter, Abby. Most of her family and friends disown her. This drug has taken over her life. At this point, she is debating if everyone, including herself, would benefit from her suicide. Jenny was dope sick, suffering
Opiates are a class of drugs that are used for chronic pain. Opioids are substances that are used to relieve pain by binding opiate receptors throughout the body, and in the brain. These areas in the brain control pain and also emotions, producing a feeling of excitement or happiness. As the brain gets used to these feelings, and the body builds a tolerance to the opioids, there is a need for more opioids and then the possibility of addiction.
Heroin was originally synthesized in 1874 by a man named C.R Alder Wright. Created as a solution to opium, a drug that had plagued many American households. It was originally produced for medical purposes evidently becoming highly addictive. Heroin “... was originally marketed as a non-addictive substance” (“History of Addiction”) which inevitably increased its popularity. It became especially popular in places of poverty. Heroin became a solution to struggle. So common it was almost as if heroin was a prescribed medicine for hardship. Known as “[a] treatment of many illnesses and pain” (“A brief history of addiction”) but later revealed that it caused more harm than good. Being so easily accessible it became immensely common among musicians.
In 1960 Heroin addiction grew and scientists were looking for something to help in detoxing addicts. During withdraw...
One type of ruthless drug is called as heroin which can deeply affect a human’s behavior. Heroin is an illegal but highly addictive drug that is processed from morphine, a substance which occurs naturally and can be taken out from the seed pod of poppy plants. It inhibits the central nervous system. The effects of heroin addicts are of course b...
The availability of opioids without a prescription or getting the medication from a friend or family member for free is one reason behind opioids addiction. It is important to know that some of them are illegal and have medical psychological effect and thus it is not safe to use them. One example is heroin which can change brain function make its user to perform unusual activities because of their effects of giving feelings of having different energy levels and more confidence. Consequently, taken in large quantity can result if feelings of anxiety and hallucinations and it can also result in death of the user. Authorities in health care system must constrain opioids availability and locate them to
Cocaine is a dangerous drug that acts as a stimulant on the brain (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2013). It is derived from the leaves of the South American coca plant and can be found as a powder, or be produced as a rock crystal, also known as crack. Cocaine is injected or snorted and produces a high that is euphoric, and the individual has increased energy and becomes very talkative (NIDA, 2013). Because cocaine is a stimulant, it increases blood pressure, heart rate, and body temperature (NIDA, 2013). In the brain, cocaine causes dopamine to build up between synapses (NIDA, 2013). Therefore, there is not reuptake and the dopamine increases, creating this intense euphoria (NIDA, 2013). Cocaine carries a high risk of addiction, since tolerance continually increases. Heart attack, stroke, and malnourishment are other side effects (Ackerman, 2014). The emotional effects include paranoia, anxiety, and irritability (Ackerman, 2014). Cocaine is potent substance, and the effects on a pregnancy can be devastating. It is not known what amount creates the danger or birth defects, but cocaine has an effect on weight, length, premature labor, miscarriage in utero, and more effects are common after the birth and throughout the child's growth (Ackerman, 2014).
Cocaine is a powerful addictive drug that affects the whole body in different ways. This drug has been around in America since 1855. In this year there were products that the average person used that had amounts of cocaine in it. The products that had cocaine in it were the beverage coke cola and medicine for numbing your gums. But before manufactures’ were using cocaine in things we use, three thousand years before the ancient Inca people use to chew coca leaves, which is one of the ingredients of making cocaine. They chewed coco leaves to get there heart racing and to speed up their breathing so they can work longer hours and because they lived where there was thin air. Also by them chewing the coco leaves it would tell their body that they aren’t hunger because they didn’t have enough food to eat. Cocaine was really popular between 1970s and 1980s in New York City. It was a large amount of people that died from this drug around this time.
Heroin is an opioid based drug that is growing in popularity. This drug is highly addictive and is a short-acting drug that forces users to need to use several times a day to continue to feel the high; withdrawal symptoms are strong an onset very quickly. Part of the reason heroin has become so popular is the fact that it is actually becoming cheaper to purchase on the streets than any other opioid drug. Unfortunately, research is lacking in specific areas of heroin addiction specifically within the youth population. ““It’s a grey area -- there’s not much out there in terms of research” on treating young people with heroin addiction, said Philip Herschman, Ph.D (Hunt, 2013).” There should be more research on the three types of medication used to treat heroin addiction and counselors should be more aware of these drugs and their uses.
...drawal syndrome that indicates the subject’s state of dependence). (Maremmani, p. 6) The addictions effect on the body is quickly established. Adapting to the presence of the drug, the body will begin to exhibit withdrawal symptoms once the opiates effects diminish. Symptoms of withdrawal include restlessness, muscle and bone pain, insomnia, diarrhea, vomiting, cold flashes with goose bumps, and leg movements (Volkow, p. 2). Although the demand for heroin remains significantly lower than for other drugs such as cocaine, methamphetamine, and marijuana, the consequences of heroin abuse are such that it poses a significant drug threat (Gruber, p. 157). Although a variety of effective treatments are available for heroin addiction, methadone maintenance (MM) remains the most common and current treatment of choice for opiate addiction in the United States (Gruber, p. 157)
Dobler-Mikola, A. Gschwed, P. Gutzwiller, F. Steffen, T. Rehm, J. Ucthengagen, A. (2001) Fesaibility, Safely, and Efficacy of Injectable Heroin Prescription for Refractory Opioid Addicts: a follow-up study. The Lancet, volume 358, pg 1417-1420
The use of drugs is a controversial topic in society today. In general, addicts show a direct link between taking drugs and suffering from their effects. People abuse drugs for a wide variety of reasons. In most cases, the use of drugs will serve a type of purpose or will give some kind of reward. These reasons for use will differ with different kinds of drugs. Various reasons for using the substance can be pain relief, depression, anxiety and weariness, acceptance into a peer group, religion, and much more. Although reasons for using may vary for each individual, it is known by all that consequences of the abuse do exist. It is only further down the line when the effects of using can be seen.
Drug addiction is a very big problem in today’s society. Many people have had their lives ruined due to drug addiction. The people that use the drugs don’t even realize that they have an addiction. They continue to use the drug not even realizing that their whole world is crashing down around them. Drug addicts normally lose their family and friends due to drug addiction.
Drug abuse and addiction not only has negative effects in the lives of the people involved, but also in the lives of their close relatives, friends and immediate society. It leads to disintegration, failure in school, loss of employment and violence. Although intake of drugs is a voluntary and conscious decision initially, continuous intake of drugs changes the brain and challenges the self-control of the “addicted person” and inhibits the ability to resist extreme desire for drug intake.