Heroin

         Heroin, also known as smack, can be deadly. It can be inhaled (breathed in), transmucosal, intravenous (injection through vein), oral (mouth), intranasal (snorted through nose), rectal (rectum), or intramuscular (through a muscle). It numbs the pain centers. It's a mix of morphine and acetic anhydride which shoots straight to the brain. Heroin gives a warm and relaxing sensation. It shuts down the frontal lobe; a sense in the brain that reacts to consiquences.
        It comes from a poppy plant that produces opium. In the 19 century it was sold in drug stores as a cough syrup. It is 2-4 times more potent than morphine. A 10 month study shows that most people have little knowledge the first time they use the drug. One-third users misuse heroin after usage. More than 75% showed users had concurrent health conditions including depression, ADHD, and bipolar disorder. In 2004 alone, Afganistan produced 87% raw opium. The second largest producer being Mexico.  It is illegal to sell diacetylmorphine without a license except in the United Kingdom and Switzerland. The average age of a first time user is 18 years old. They'll have nausea and vomiting. In 1701, Senate Bill granted limited immunity to anyone who called 9-1-1 to report a drug overdose. People stressed, depressed, and have anxiety are high risked. A 2013 report from SAMHSA shows people ages 12-49 who abuse pain killers are 19 times more likely to try heroin. 75.9% who've tried heroin abused pain killers. Death rates have rose since 1970. 1 out of 10 heroin overdoses result in fatality. In 2011, 4.2 million people over the age of 11 have tried it. There is a higher cance of death in men. 17% of new users die. OxyCotin (ocycodone) is a synthetic heroin known as "hillbilly heroin".
         The high of heroin lasts for 2-3 minutes, intravenously, then feel drowsy, but the "nod" high lasts 4-5 hours. "Once the poison enters your body, you're in love", "God's angels massaging your whole body," "You don't need it, you want it." Says April Erion, a recovering addict who became addicted at the age of 16. "A couple hours without it and you're dope sick." April is an 85 pound, 20 year old girl. Micheal Agar says heroin is "The perfect whatever drug". Anonymous recovering addicts say, "It will take everything you ever loved and destroy it." "When your a heroin addict, it's your job, that's what you do."
        There are endless risks to using heroin; the buyer doesn't know what's in it, after recovering the user relapses and overdose risks increase, injection form is most deadly, chance of HIV (AIDS), hepatitis, from sharing dirty needles. And the more you get high, the more heroin you need to feel the high. 
        Short term affects in the centeral brain are eurphoria and alternately alert and drowsiness. It can cause dryness in the mouth and warm flushing in the skin. The respitory is slowed in breathing and musular weakness. Long term affects in the central brain includes addiction, tolerance, and dependence. Pneumonia happens in the respitory and infection of the heart lining and valves in the heart. Collapsed veins happen in the circulatory and liver decreases function. Systematic creates absecesses. Withdrawl symptoms include running eyes and nose, flu like symptoms, fever, exhaustion, isomnia, muscle cramps and aches, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach cramps and spasms, depression, anxiety, mood changes, drug cravings, hallucinations, aspirations, and these usually last 7- 10 days after the last use.
        When your tempted to try heroin, no matter what way it enters your body, remember everything you've lived for. Everything you made your life into. You will destroy everything you made of yourself! You will lose the things that mean the most to you. It will control your life. Have power over yourself and say no. It's not cool, not fun, and definitley not something you need to feel better. Things will get better without a drug. Problems won't go away using heroin, only more problems will occur. You can say no, you can resist using, you can stay away from things that will hurt you in the long run. Don't let the temptations be higher than your goals. Don't let people tell you false things about it. It will NOT benefit you in anyway. That 3 minute high isn't worth your years of living. That 3 minite high could just destroy it all.