INFORMATION ON HEROIN ADDICTION
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Copyright 2007-2008 Defeat Addictions. All Rights Reserved.
Heroin (diacetylmorphine, diamorphine) is a semi-synthetic opioid synthesized from morphine, a derivative of the opium
poppy. It is the 3, 6-diacetyl ester of morphine (hence diacetylmorphine) and is processed by acetylation, making it a
prodrug for the systemic delivery of morphine. The white crystalline form is commonly the hydrochloride salt
diacetylmorphine hydrochloride. Upon crossing the blood-brain barrier, which occurs soon after introduction of the
drug into the bloodstream, heroin is converted into monoacetylmorphine and morphine, the compounds that mimic the
action of endorphins, creating a sense of extreme well-being with the feeling centered in the gut. One of the most
common methods of heroin use is via intravenous injection.
As with other opiates, heroin is used both as a pain-killer and a recreational drug. Frequent administration has a high
potential for causing addiction and may quickly lead to tolerance; however, occasional use does not lead to symptoms
of withdrawal. If a continual, sustained use of heroin for as little as three days is stopped abruptly, withdrawal
symptoms can appear. This is much shorter than the withdrawal effects experienced from other common painkillers
such as oxycodone and hydrocodone.
Internationally, heroin is controlled under Schedules I and IV of the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs. It is illegal to
manufacture, possess, or sell heroin in the United States and the UK. However, under the name diamorphine, heroin is
a legal prescription drug in the United Kingdom. Popular street names for heroin include smack, black tar, junk, skag,
horse, Brain, and others. These words are specific references to heroin and only heroin. Dope is commonly used to
refer to heroin, but may indicate other drugs as well, from laudanum a century ago to nearly any contemporary illegal
recreational drug.
History
Heroin was first processed in 1874 by C.R. Alder Wright, an English chemist working at St. Mary's Hospital Medical
School in London, England. He had been experimenting with combining morphine with various acids. He boiled
anhydrous morphine alkaloid with acetic anhydride over a stove for several hours and produced a more potent,
acetylated form of morphine, now called diacetylmorphine. The compound was sent to F.M. Pierce of Owens College in
Manchester for analysis, who reported the following to Wright:
Doses ... were subcutaneously injected into young dogs and rabbits ... with the following general results ... great
prostration, fear, and sleepiness speedily following the administration, the eyes being sensitive, and pupils constrict,
considerable salivation being produced in dogs, and slight tendency to vomiting in some cases, but no actual emesis.
Respiration was at first quickened, but subsequently reduced, and the heart's action was diminished, and rendered
irregular. Marked want of coordinating power over the muscular movements, and loss of power in the pelvis and hind
limbs, together with a diminution of temperature in the rectum of about 4° (rectal failure). Wright's invention, however,
did not lead to any further developments, and heroin only became popular after it was independently re-synthesized
23 years later by another chemist, Felix Hoffmann. Hoffmann, working at the Bayer pharmaceutical company in
Elberfeld, Germany, was instructed by his supervisor Heinrich Dreser to acetylate morphine with the objective of
producing codeine, a natural derivative of the opium poppy, similar to morphine but less potent and less addictive. But
instead of producing codeine, the experiment produced an acetylated form of morphine that was actually 1.5-2 times
more potent than morphine itself. Bayer would name the substance "heroin", probably from the word heroisch, German
for heroic, because in field studies people using the medicine felt "heroic".
From 1898 through to 1910 heroin was marketed as a non-addictive morphine substitute and cough medicine for
children. Bayer marketed heroin as a cure for morphine addiction before it was discovered that heroin is converted to
morphine when metabolized in the liver, and as such, "heroin" was basically only a quicker acting form of morphine.
The company was somewhat embarrassed by this new finding and it became a historical blunder for Bayer. As with
aspirin, Bayer lost some of its trademark rights to heroin following the German defeat in World War I.
In the United States the Harrison Narcotics Tax Act was passed in 1914 to control the sale and distribution of heroin.
The law did allow heroin to be prescribed and sold for medical purposes. In particular, recreational users could often
still be legally supplied with heroin. In 1924, the United States Congress passed additional legislation banning the sale,
importation or manufacture of heroin in the United States. It is now a Schedule I substance, and is thus illegal in the
United States.
Usage and effects
Heroin is used as a recreational drug for its intense euphoria, which often fades with increased tolerance. It is believed
that heroin's popularity with recreational users, compared to morphine or other opiates, comes from its somewhat
different perceived effects. This belief has not been supported by clinical research. In studies comparing the
physiological and subjective effects of heroin and morphine administered intravenously in post-addicts, subjects
showed no preference for one or the other of these drugs when administered on a single injection basis. Equipotent
intravenous doses had comparable action courses. There was no difference found in their ability to produce feelings
of "euphoria," ambition, nervousness, relaxation, drowsiness, or sleepiness. Data acquired during short-term addiction
studies did not support the statement that tolerance develops more rapidly to heroin than to morphine. These findings
have been discussed in relation to the physicochemical properties of heroin and morphine and the metabolism of
heroin. When compared to other opioids -- hydromorphone, fentanyl, oxycodone, and meperidine, post-addicts
showed a strong preference to heroin and morphine over the others, suggesting that heroin and morphine are more
liable to abuse and addiction. Morphine and heroin were also much more likely to produce feelings of "euphoria" , and
other subjective effects when compared to most other opioid analgesics.Heroin can be administered in a number of
ways, including snorting and injection. It may also be smoked by inhaling the vapors produced when heated (known as
"chasing the dragon").
Some users mix heroin with cocaine in a so-called "speedball" or "snowball", which is usually injected intravenously
although it can be smoked or dissolved in water and snorted. This causes a more intense rush than heroin alone but is
more dangerous because the combination of the short-acting stimulant with the longer-acting depressant increases
the risk of overdosing on one or both drugs. Once in the brain, heroin is rapidly metabolized into morphine by removal
of the acetyl groups, therefore, it is known as a prodrug. It is the morphine molecule that then binds with opioid
receptors and produces the subjective effects of the heroin high.
The onset of heroin's effects is dependent on the method of administration. Taken orally, heroin is totally metabolized
in vivo into morphine before crossing the blood-brain barrier; so the effects are the same as oral morphine. Snorting
heroin results in an onset within 3 to 5 minutes. Smoking heroin results in an almost immediate, though mild effect
which strengthens the longer it is used 7 to 11 seconds. Intravenous injection results in rush and euphoria within 30 to
60 seconds; while intramuscular or subcutaneous injection takes longer, having an effect within 3 to 5 minutes.
Heroin is a μ-opioid (mu-opioid) agonist. It acts on endogenous μ-opioid receptors that are spread in discrete packets
throughout the brain, spinal cord and gut in almost all mammals. Heroin, along with other opioids, are agonists to four
endogenous neurotransmitters. They are β-endorphin, dynorphin, leu-enkephalin, and met-enkephalin. The body
responds to heroin in the brain by reducing (and sometimes stopping) production of the endogenous opioids when
heroin is present. Endorphins are regularly released in the brain and nerves, attenuating pain. Their other functions
are still obscure, but are probably related to the effects produced by heroin besides analgesia (antitussin, anti-
diarrheal). The reduced endorphin production in heroin users creates a dependence on the heroin, and the cessation
of heroin results in extremely uncomfortable symptoms including pain (even in the absence of physical trauma). This
set of symptoms is called withdrawal syndrome. It has an onset 6 to 8 hours after the last dose of heroin.
Large doses of heroin can be fatal. The drug can be used for suicide or, as in the case of Sigmund Freud, physician-
assisted suicide. Heroin can also be used as a murder weapon. The serial killer Dr. Harold Shipman used it on his
victims as did Dr. John Bodkin Adams (see his victim, Edith Alice Morrell). It can sometimes be difficult to determine
whether a heroin death was an accident, suicide or murder. The deaths of Joseph Krecker ,Janis Joplin andd Kurt
Cobain were such cases.
Regulation
In Canada heroin is a controlled substance under Schedule I of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA).
Every person who seeks or obtains heroin without disclosing authorization 30 days prior to obtaining another
prescription from a practitioner is guilty of an indictable offense and liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding
seven years. Possession for purpose of trafficking is guilty of an indictable offense and liable to imprisonment for life.
In Hong Kong, heroin is regulated under Schedule 1 of Hong Kong's Chapter 134 Dangerous Drugs Ordinance. It can
only be used legally by health professionals and for university research purposes. It can be given by pharmacists
under a prescription. Anyone who supplies heroin without prescription can be fined $10000(HKD). The penalty for
trafficking or manufacturing heroin is a $5,000,000 (HKD) fine and life imprisonment. Possession of heroin for
consumption without license from the Department of Health is illegal with a $1,000,000 (HKD) fine and/or 7 years of jail
time.
poppy. It is the 3, 6-diacetyl ester of morphine (hence diacetylmorphine) and is processed by acetylation, making it a
prodrug for the systemic delivery of morphine. The white crystalline form is commonly the hydrochloride salt
diacetylmorphine hydrochloride. Upon crossing the blood-brain barrier, which occurs soon after introduction of the
drug into the bloodstream, heroin is converted into monoacetylmorphine and morphine, the compounds that mimic the
action of endorphins, creating a sense of extreme well-being with the feeling centered in the gut. One of the most
common methods of heroin use is via intravenous injection.
As with other opiates, heroin is used both as a pain-killer and a recreational drug. Frequent administration has a high
potential for causing addiction and may quickly lead to tolerance; however, occasional use does not lead to symptoms
of withdrawal. If a continual, sustained use of heroin for as little as three days is stopped abruptly, withdrawal
symptoms can appear. This is much shorter than the withdrawal effects experienced from other common painkillers
such as oxycodone and hydrocodone.
Internationally, heroin is controlled under Schedules I and IV of the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs. It is illegal to
manufacture, possess, or sell heroin in the United States and the UK. However, under the name diamorphine, heroin is
a legal prescription drug in the United Kingdom. Popular street names for heroin include smack, black tar, junk, skag,
horse, Brain, and others. These words are specific references to heroin and only heroin. Dope is commonly used to
refer to heroin, but may indicate other drugs as well, from laudanum a century ago to nearly any contemporary illegal
recreational drug.
History
Heroin was first processed in 1874 by C.R. Alder Wright, an English chemist working at St. Mary's Hospital Medical
School in London, England. He had been experimenting with combining morphine with various acids. He boiled
anhydrous morphine alkaloid with acetic anhydride over a stove for several hours and produced a more potent,
acetylated form of morphine, now called diacetylmorphine. The compound was sent to F.M. Pierce of Owens College in
Manchester for analysis, who reported the following to Wright:
Doses ... were subcutaneously injected into young dogs and rabbits ... with the following general results ... great
prostration, fear, and sleepiness speedily following the administration, the eyes being sensitive, and pupils constrict,
considerable salivation being produced in dogs, and slight tendency to vomiting in some cases, but no actual emesis.
Respiration was at first quickened, but subsequently reduced, and the heart's action was diminished, and rendered
irregular. Marked want of coordinating power over the muscular movements, and loss of power in the pelvis and hind
limbs, together with a diminution of temperature in the rectum of about 4° (rectal failure). Wright's invention, however,
did not lead to any further developments, and heroin only became popular after it was independently re-synthesized
23 years later by another chemist, Felix Hoffmann. Hoffmann, working at the Bayer pharmaceutical company in
Elberfeld, Germany, was instructed by his supervisor Heinrich Dreser to acetylate morphine with the objective of
producing codeine, a natural derivative of the opium poppy, similar to morphine but less potent and less addictive. But
instead of producing codeine, the experiment produced an acetylated form of morphine that was actually 1.5-2 times
more potent than morphine itself. Bayer would name the substance "heroin", probably from the word heroisch, German
for heroic, because in field studies people using the medicine felt "heroic".
From 1898 through to 1910 heroin was marketed as a non-addictive morphine substitute and cough medicine for
children. Bayer marketed heroin as a cure for morphine addiction before it was discovered that heroin is converted to
morphine when metabolized in the liver, and as such, "heroin" was basically only a quicker acting form of morphine.
The company was somewhat embarrassed by this new finding and it became a historical blunder for Bayer. As with
aspirin, Bayer lost some of its trademark rights to heroin following the German defeat in World War I.
In the United States the Harrison Narcotics Tax Act was passed in 1914 to control the sale and distribution of heroin.
The law did allow heroin to be prescribed and sold for medical purposes. In particular, recreational users could often
still be legally supplied with heroin. In 1924, the United States Congress passed additional legislation banning the sale,
importation or manufacture of heroin in the United States. It is now a Schedule I substance, and is thus illegal in the
United States.
Usage and effects
Heroin is used as a recreational drug for its intense euphoria, which often fades with increased tolerance. It is believed
that heroin's popularity with recreational users, compared to morphine or other opiates, comes from its somewhat
different perceived effects. This belief has not been supported by clinical research. In studies comparing the
physiological and subjective effects of heroin and morphine administered intravenously in post-addicts, subjects
showed no preference for one or the other of these drugs when administered on a single injection basis. Equipotent
intravenous doses had comparable action courses. There was no difference found in their ability to produce feelings
of "euphoria," ambition, nervousness, relaxation, drowsiness, or sleepiness. Data acquired during short-term addiction
studies did not support the statement that tolerance develops more rapidly to heroin than to morphine. These findings
have been discussed in relation to the physicochemical properties of heroin and morphine and the metabolism of
heroin. When compared to other opioids -- hydromorphone, fentanyl, oxycodone, and meperidine, post-addicts
showed a strong preference to heroin and morphine over the others, suggesting that heroin and morphine are more
liable to abuse and addiction. Morphine and heroin were also much more likely to produce feelings of "euphoria" , and
other subjective effects when compared to most other opioid analgesics.Heroin can be administered in a number of
ways, including snorting and injection. It may also be smoked by inhaling the vapors produced when heated (known as
"chasing the dragon").
Some users mix heroin with cocaine in a so-called "speedball" or "snowball", which is usually injected intravenously
although it can be smoked or dissolved in water and snorted. This causes a more intense rush than heroin alone but is
more dangerous because the combination of the short-acting stimulant with the longer-acting depressant increases
the risk of overdosing on one or both drugs. Once in the brain, heroin is rapidly metabolized into morphine by removal
of the acetyl groups, therefore, it is known as a prodrug. It is the morphine molecule that then binds with opioid
receptors and produces the subjective effects of the heroin high.
The onset of heroin's effects is dependent on the method of administration. Taken orally, heroin is totally metabolized
in vivo into morphine before crossing the blood-brain barrier; so the effects are the same as oral morphine. Snorting
heroin results in an onset within 3 to 5 minutes. Smoking heroin results in an almost immediate, though mild effect
which strengthens the longer it is used 7 to 11 seconds. Intravenous injection results in rush and euphoria within 30 to
60 seconds; while intramuscular or subcutaneous injection takes longer, having an effect within 3 to 5 minutes.
Heroin is a μ-opioid (mu-opioid) agonist. It acts on endogenous μ-opioid receptors that are spread in discrete packets
throughout the brain, spinal cord and gut in almost all mammals. Heroin, along with other opioids, are agonists to four
endogenous neurotransmitters. They are β-endorphin, dynorphin, leu-enkephalin, and met-enkephalin. The body
responds to heroin in the brain by reducing (and sometimes stopping) production of the endogenous opioids when
heroin is present. Endorphins are regularly released in the brain and nerves, attenuating pain. Their other functions
are still obscure, but are probably related to the effects produced by heroin besides analgesia (antitussin, anti-
diarrheal). The reduced endorphin production in heroin users creates a dependence on the heroin, and the cessation
of heroin results in extremely uncomfortable symptoms including pain (even in the absence of physical trauma). This
set of symptoms is called withdrawal syndrome. It has an onset 6 to 8 hours after the last dose of heroin.
Large doses of heroin can be fatal. The drug can be used for suicide or, as in the case of Sigmund Freud, physician-
assisted suicide. Heroin can also be used as a murder weapon. The serial killer Dr. Harold Shipman used it on his
victims as did Dr. John Bodkin Adams (see his victim, Edith Alice Morrell). It can sometimes be difficult to determine
whether a heroin death was an accident, suicide or murder. The deaths of Joseph Krecker ,Janis Joplin andd Kurt
Cobain were such cases.
Regulation
In Canada heroin is a controlled substance under Schedule I of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA).
Every person who seeks or obtains heroin without disclosing authorization 30 days prior to obtaining another
prescription from a practitioner is guilty of an indictable offense and liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding
seven years. Possession for purpose of trafficking is guilty of an indictable offense and liable to imprisonment for life.
In Hong Kong, heroin is regulated under Schedule 1 of Hong Kong's Chapter 134 Dangerous Drugs Ordinance. It can
only be used legally by health professionals and for university research purposes. It can be given by pharmacists
under a prescription. Anyone who supplies heroin without prescription can be fined $10000(HKD). The penalty for
trafficking or manufacturing heroin is a $5,000,000 (HKD) fine and life imprisonment. Possession of heroin for
consumption without license from the Department of Health is illegal with a $1,000,000 (HKD) fine and/or 7 years of jail
time.
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Heroin Video
Heroin
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