Overview
Heroin is a highly addictive drug that
has been prevalent in the United States for centuries. Heroin the most commonly
abused and most addictive form of opiates. It is often a white or brownish
color powder, but it can also be a black sticky substance called “black tar,”
which is common when being sold from Mexico (The University of Arizona, n.d.).
Heroin is a depressant, which means that it depresses the central nervous system. This lowers anxiety and can even induce anesthesia or death if administered at a high dosage (Van Wormer & Davis, 2008). Heroin is originally derived from opiates, which are naturally occurring chemicals from opium poppy. It can be smoked, snorted, or injected. Although it was commonly used by physicians to alleviate physical pain in the past, it is popular among addicts to alleviate psychological pain. The short-term effects of heroin use include a surge of euphoria. Tolerance of heroin is very high, which means that user must continually increase their dose in order to experience these euphoric effects. Withdrawal from heroin is extremely painful for users. Some of these symptoms include drug craving, muscle pain, restlessness, cold flashes, diarrhea, and vomiting. These symptoms can occur in as little as a few hours after use in people who regularly use (Van Wormer & Davis, 2008).
Opium was the first of the opiates.
This is derived from the sap of opium poppies. In the US in the 18th
century, opium was used by physicians in order to treat many painful symptoms.
Towards the end of the 18th century, physicians noticed that many
individuals were becoming addicted, and so in 1805, morphine, which was
isolated from opium, was used to cure opium addiction. Morphine use increased
in the years following due to the fact that the euphoric effects of morphine
are about tem times those of opium (The University of Arizona, n.d.).
In 1874, an English chemist derived
heroin from morphine. Heroin was used as a replacement of morphine due to
morphine abuse. In 1898, heroin began to be produced commercially by the Bayer
Pharmaceutical Company (The University of Arizona, n.d.).
The first widespread addiction of
heroin in the US was documented during the Civil War from 1861 to 1865. It was
marked as the “wonder drug,” which contributed to the widespread use by
physicians and users. Throughout the early 1900s, narcotics, including heroin,
were freely distributed to patients. According to the Institute of Medicine, by
1900, approximately 300,000 American were addicted to opiates. Between 1910 and
1950, the most common abusers of heroin were those in their teens or early 20s,
who were unmarried, poor, primarily male, and ethnic minorities (NIDA
International Program, 2006).
Administering heroin intravenously
became more common in the US after World War II. The National Survey on Drug
Use and Health (NSDUH) documents that there was an immense increase of heroin
use during the early 1970s and between 1995 and 2002. According to the 2003
NSDUH, an estimated 3.7 million people have used heroin at some time in their
lives. Over 119,000 of these individuals report using heroin within one month
preceding the survey. Approximately 314,000 Americans had used heroin in the
past year. Most of these users were individuals who were 26 years or older. In
this survey, “57.4% of past heroin users were classified with dependence on or
abuse of heroin and an estimated 281,000 persons received treatment for heroin
abuse” (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2005, p. 1).
When heroin use became widespread in
the US, there was very minimal government involvement. There were not any
Federal regulations about the manufacture, distribution, or use of heroin.
There were a few state laws, but they were only enforced sporadically. In 1906,
the Pure Food and Drug Act authorized federal regulations on medications. Heroin
was finally placed under federal control in 1914 by the Harrison Narcotic Act.
This required individuals who sold or distributed narcotics to register with
the Federal government and pay an excise tax. Criminalization of narcotic use
began in the US between 1924 and 1960. During this time, the US implemented
stiffer narcotic policies, which called for mandatory sentences for possession
and sale of opioids in 1951. The US government also signed the Geneva Convention
of 1925 and the Limitation Convention of 1931, which limited the manufacturing
of narcotics (NIDA International Program, 2006).
In the 20th century, the
US government took a medical-criminal approach. As science advanced, this lead
to an increase in the understanding of addiction. In 1962, the White House
Conference on Narcotic Drug Abuse “first recommended more flexible sentencing,
wider latitude in medical treatment, and more emphasis on rehabilitation and
research” (NIDA International Program, 2006, p. 4).
By 1971, the Special Action Office
of Drug Abuse Prevention (SAODP) was established within the White House. The
SAODP was responsible for drug treatment and rehabilitation, prevention,
education, training, and research. Currently in the US, heroin is regulated
under the Controlled Substance Act (NIDA International Program, 2006).
My Thoughts
After looking over many resources about heroin addiction and the history of heroin in the US, I see now more than ever how important it is to provide treatment to individuals with drug addictions and to work to prevent addiction from occurring. Although heroin is a very dangerous drug, it is not the only drug that can cause harm to individuals and even society. I think that it is very important to continue to gain scientific knowledge about drugs and continually work to provide treatments for drug users. In my opinion, it is also important to remain aware of prescription drugs and the addictiveness of some of them because in the case of opium, the addictive nature of the drug was not recognized.
Government Influence
I do think that the government somewhat influences the use of substances, including heroin. On on side, I think the fact that it is so taboo to do heroin could influence some individuals, especially young people to try it. However, I think that it is necessary for the government to be very strict about heroin and individuals who use it. I do not agree with the governments tactic of sending users to jail because this does not necessarily help them to overcome their addiction. Instead of responding with jailtime, the government should use drug courts and other treatment options before resorting to jail time for offenders.
