Street Heroin Research Paper

Words: 964
Pages: 4

Heroin abuse has had a huge decrease in the past couple years, but is still higher than in the early 1990’s. These high rates of heroin abuse have shown young students the “greatness” of heroin in music, films, and other patterns of drugs. The purity of heroin has increased making the prices decrease. The National Institute on Drug Abuse has provided publication of the latest research there is on heroin abuse and other addictions. Heroin is a highly addictive drug and can go far beyond the minds of an individual. Drug abuse is a big problem in the world today, with all different types of drugs and prescription drugs that affect the way humans act, learn and develop.
Heroin is illegal and highly addictive drug. It is both the most abused and rapidly acting drug on the streets. Heroin is processed from Morphine, a naturally occurring substance from a seed pod of certain types of poppy plants. It is typically sold as a white or brown tint colored powder or a black sticky substance known as “black tar heroin.” Although purer heroin is becoming more common, most street heroin is laced with, other drugs or substances such as sugar, starch, powdered milk, or quinine. Street heroin can also be laced with strychnine or other poisons. Heroin abusers don't know the actual strength of the drug or the
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Treatments tend to be more effective when heroin abuse is identified in the early stage. The treatments vary depending on the individual. NIDA researchers stated that “methadone, a synthetic opiate that blocks the effects of heroin and eliminates withdrawal symptoms, has a proven record of success for people addicted to heroin. Detoxification is to relieve withdrawal symptoms while patients adjust to a drug-free state.” Detoxification is not a treatment for addiction, detoxification is a useful step only when it leads into long-term treatment that is either drug-free and takes about 3-6 months to