Heroin is an illegal and highly addictive drug derived from opium. It is typically taken by injection but can also be smoked or snorted. Use of heroin leads to a euphoric high but also serious health risks like overdose from the unpredictable potency of street drugs. The United States is experiencing a heroin epidemic, with a 50% rise in heroin use from 2002-2012 and over 680,000 people using heroin annually in 2013. Massachusetts alone saw over 200 heroin overdoses in a 3 month period of 2015. Treatment options for addiction include detox centers, counseling, therapy, and medication assistance programs.

1. Heroin
CHRIS BURLEY

2. What is Heroin?
Illegal and Very Addictive
It comes from a poppy plant that
produces Opium
Then it is later it is made to Morphine
It is later chemically made into Heroin

3. How is it used?
 Heroin can be in a white or brown powdered form but also can be a black
sticky substance or black chunks.
 The most common way Heroine is taken is from injection. It can be
injected wherever there is a vein in your body and that includes your arm
or even hidden places like between your fingers and toes.
 Other ways Heroin is taken is from smoking it or snorting it.

4. Symptoms
 Itching
 Nausea
 Slowed Heart Rate
 Foggy mental state
 Needle marks
 Collapsed veins

5. Why heroin?
 Its like any other drug, once you take it you
love the rush or high
 Its extremely addictive
 A warm calm feeling
 An increase in confidence
 Heavy slow breathing

6. Heroin Epidemic in This Country
 There is an Epidemic going on in this country revolving around this drug
 From 2002-2012 heroin use has risen 50%
 The annual market for this drug in this country is about 7 Billion more then
any other country
 In 2013, over 680,000 people over the age of 12 have used heroin in the
last year
 Over a three month period in 2015, Massachusetts State Police recorded
over 217 heroin overdoses….3 MONTH PERIOD!

7. Help is Always Near
 Many heroin addicts resort to Detox centers
near them
 From there you may go to Outpatient mental
health, Drug and Alcohol Counseling, and
Community Supports
 Also can go to Behavioral Therapy and
Medication Therapy

8. Relevance to Practice
 I believe that this is the worst and most deadliest drug that is
out on the streets.
 If we don’t start acting towards this epidemic then how much
worse will it be when our kids start growing up? Its in our
hands to stop it before it gets out of hand.
 This class is Drugs in Society and there isn’t a bigger issue in
our society then heroin.
 So many loved ones are lost every year in this state from this
drug

9. Quote
 “As the strength of any street drug is hard to gauge from
batch to batch, the potential to overdose on heroin is always a
distinct possibility”
 This is the quote that I chose because its very true. You don’t know if you
get a bad batch or what's really in it. You can take the same amount as you
usually do and it be bad and you could overdose.

10. Resources
 http://boston.cbslocal.com/2015/04/01/217-suspected-massachusetts-
heroin-overdose-deaths-this-year/
 http://drugabuse.com/library/heroin-history-and-statistics/
 http://drugabuse.com/library/heroin-abuse/#about-heroin-abuse