Heroin

History of Heroin

Heroin's history follows the course of opioid use in the world. In the mid-19th century, morphine was the most commonly available opioid in the market, and its users often became addicted to the drug. To combat this addiction, scientists looked for ways to achieve the same painkilling affects without the addictive properties. In this effort, C. R. Adler Wright began to combine acids with morphine and codeine, the two naturally forming alkaloids of opium. Wright produced acetylated morphine in 1874, when he combined acetic anhydride with morphine.

After this experimentation, Wright did not develop the medicine any further. In Germany in the 1890s, a scientist came up with the same formula. Since the scientist, Felix Hoffmann, worked for Bayer, a major pharmaceutical company, the company decided to market it as an alternative to the more “addictive” morphine. In fact, heroin metabolizes more quickly in the blood than does morphine. This is considered a historic blunder on the part of Bayer. After many years of Bayer's marketing the drug as a powerful painkiller and cough suppressant, heroin was severely restricted in the United States by the Harrison Narcotics Act of 1914. Bayer lost its patent on heroin and aspirin after World War I, as part of the punitive measures leveled against Germany. In 1924, the U.S. Congress completely banned heroin.

Heroin Use and Effects

Heroin in its purest form consists of typically light brown or white crystals. In some people, the drug produces a pleasant feeling of relaxation and comfort. It is a depressant that causes the heart rate, breathing, and other bodily functions to slow down. In the case of an overdose, the heart and breathing simply stop. Research suggests that the mortality rate among heroin addicts is 1% to 3% per year. Heroin is usually not sold in pure form but is “cut” with a variety of other substances by drug dealers, including powdered sugar, lidocaine, flour, or even arsenic. Heroin is typically adulterated or “stepped on” at each stage in the drug distribution process. As a result of the adulteration, the actual street user may be using a dosage that contains anywhere from 1% to 20% heroin. The resulting variance in concentration contributes to the increased overdose death rate.

The heroin user typically snorts or injects the drug. The preferred route of administration varies with location. In some cities, the dominant mode is by injection, whereas other cities will have a preponderance of people who snort the drug. Injecting is the fastest and most intense route of administration. When heroin enters the body, it quickly binds to opioid receptors in the brain. This mechanism produces the “rush” and sense of euphoria. Frequently, the heroin user will enter a semiconscious state referred to as “nodding.” The user's head will literally move up and down as the user alternates between unconsciousness and consciousness.

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