Heroin

Heroin or Diamorphine, powerful analgesic (pain-relieving) drug derived from the narcotic morphine, a chemical derivative of opium. Heroin is more addictive than morphine but causes less nausea. The drug was originally developed as a substitute for morphine that supposedly had fewer side effects. Heroin was introduced as a cough suppressant in 1898 and was added to various patent medicines. However, heroin’s addictive risks were quickly discovered, and it was outlawed. As an illegal substance, it has become one of the most abused drugs in the United States (see Drug Dependence).

The effects of injecting or smoking heroin include an immediate “rush” or “high.” A user may experience euphoria along with profound indifference and drowsiness. Because of its powerful habit-forming qualities, its manufacture and import are forbidden in the United States, even for medical use. The manufacture, smuggling, and sale of heroin account for a significant portion of illegal drug trafficking worldwide and commonly involve organized crime. Addicts in turn may engage in criminal activity to pay for their often expensive habits.

Medical risks from heroin use can include contaminated needles that spread human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) (the virus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome [AIDS]) or forms of hepatitis, and death from overdose (the drug can suppress breathing). Addicts deprived of heroin can experience severe withdrawal symptoms that include nausea, tremors, chills, and pain. Treatments for heroin addiction can include use of the drug methadone as a substitute that reduces withdrawal symptoms but does not produce euphoria.