2. “In 2011, 4.2 million Americans aged 12 or
older had used heroin at least once in their
lives.”
3. WHAT IS IT?
It is an opioid drug
It is synthesized from morphine
Which is a naturally occurring substance extracted
from the opium poppy plant
Appearance:
White or black powder
Or a black sticky substance called “black tar heroin”
4. HOW IS HEROIN USED?
Heroin can be injected, inhaled, or smoked
People who inject heroin are at a high risk of
contracting HIV and hepatitis C (HVC)
These diseases are transmitted when sharing needles
5. HOW DOES THE ADDICTION DEVELOP?
The first step is often prescription opioid pain medication
Such as OxyContin and Vicodin
Which are the most commonly abused drugs in the U.S.
50% of young people who inject heroin reported abusing
prescription opioids before starting heroin
After abusing prescription drugs, heroin is often the next
step because it is cheaper and easier to obtain
6. HEALTH CONDITIONS ASSOCIATED WITH
HEROIN USE
1. Fatal overdose
2. Spontaneous abortion
3. Infectious diseases (like hepatitis and HIV)
4. Collapsed veins
5. Infection of the heart lining and valves
6. Abscesses
7. Constipation and gastrointestinal cramping
8. Liver or kidney disease
9. Pulmonary complications (types of pneumonia)
7. OPIOID RECEPTORS
Heroin is converted back to morphine as it enters the brain
The morphine then binds to opioid receptors
The receptors are located in many areas of the brain,
especially those involved:
With the perception of pain
And in reward
Opioid receptors are also located on the brain stem
Which controls automatic processes critical for life
Such as: blood pressure, arousal, and respiration (breathing)
8. HEROIN OVERDOSES
Frequently involve a suppression of breathing
This can affect the amount of oxygen that reaches the
brain
A condition called hypoxia
Hypoxia can have short and long term psychological
and neurological effects including coma and
permanent brain damage
9. LONG TERM EFFECTS
Opioid addiction has long term effects on the brain which results in:
(1) Tolerance
which occurs when more of the drug is needed to achieve the same
initial intensity and effect
(2) Dependence
The need to continue the use of a drug to avoid withdrawal symptoms
*Studies have shown some deterioration of the brain’s white matter
after long term use
which may affect decision-making abilities, the ability to regulate
behavior, and responses to stressful situations.
10. HEROIN DEPENDENCE
Heroin dependence is a chronically relapsing disorder that has
been characterized by a compulsion to seek and use heroin
despite negative consequences
After detoxification, a high percentage of heroin‐dependent
patients suffer a relapse into daily drug use
11. HEROIN USE LINKED TO PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS
Affective disorders have been frequently described in heroin addicts
Studies have indicated that individuals who regularly use heroin are at
risk for elevated levels of anxiety
High levels of anxiety and stress have been found to be associated with
drug craving and drug use
Studies have connected heroin craving and negative emotions in heroin
dependence
The negative emotions were suppressed directly after heroin use
12. TREATMENT
Behavioral therapies and medications are effective at helping patients stop using
heroin and return to stable and productive lives
Medications include:
buprenorphine and methadone
both of which work by binding to the same cell receptors as heroin but more
weakly
help a person wean off the drug and reduce craving
Naltrexone
Which blocks opioid receptors, preventing the drug from having an effect
Naloxone (Narcan)
used as an emergency treatment to counteract the effects of heroin
overdose.
14. REFERENCES
• National Institute on Drug Abuse. Heroin Retrieved from
https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/heroin on February 9, 2016
•
Blum, J., Gerber, H., Gerhard, U., Schmid, O., Petitjean, S., Riecher‐Rössler, A., & ...
Walter, M. (2013). Acute effects of heroin on emotions in heroin‐dependent
patients. The American Journal On Addictions, 22(6), 598-604.
doi:10.1111/j.1521-0391.2013.12025.x