Heroin By: Sarah Lezzer

Basic Facts about Heroin Heroin is a narcotic It can be injected, snorted and smoked Highly addictive Overdoses can be treated

Heroin- a break down Heroin is a highly addictive drug made from morphine which is derived from the seed pod of an Asian poppy plant. In the United States for the year of 2015, the number of accidental overdose deaths was 12,990 related to heroin alone. Heroin can be either a white or a brown powder or a black, sticky substance known as black tar. Street heroin tends to contain dangerous chemicals that lead to overdoses.

Heroin’s “Street Name” “Dope” “Horse” “Junk” “Smack” “Speedball”- When mixed with crack/cocaine “H” “Skag”

Paraphernalia The most commonly used paraphernalia related to heroin is syringes because heroin can be dissolved in water and injected into the body. Some other paraphernalia related to this is: Lighter Spoon Aluminum foil Vial of water Tuft of cotton- acts as a filter Funnel Credit card/razor blade -to crush Mirror/flat surface Tube (ex. Drinking straw, rolled up bill)

Administration of the Drug Injection As it was mentioned earlier, heroin can be dissolved and injected into a vein, muscle, or underneath the skin. Often, you can see needle marks on the arms and legs of a drug abuser. Snorting When taken this way, heroin is crushed using a credit card or a razor blade then it is inhaled through the tube, whether it be a straw or a rolled up bill. Smoking A piece of heroin is placed onto a piece of aluminum foil then heated from below and the will heroin boil, this gives off vapors and can be inhaled by the user through a funnel.

Short Term Effects Rush or euphoria Dry mouth Flushing of the skin Clouded mental function (obviously) Heavy feeling hands and feet

Effects of Heroin on the Body Overtime, with the continued use of heroin: Veins break down and collapse, rendering them useless Cartilage in the nose gets damaged (snorting) Mothers who abuse heroin while pregnant can have very serious complications and their child has a greater potential of having SIDS or being addicted to heroin. Abscesses HIV/ Hepatitis C

Heroin in Fuquay In Fuquay, there has been an increase of drug overdoses specifically linked to heroin. Heroin overdoses can actually be treated very easily if the proper medication to reverse the effects of the heroin “high” is available. EMS carries the medication Naloxone, aka Narcan due to the fact that most of the time they are the first personnel on the scene but not all first responders are required to carry it especially because it is pretty expensive. On December 1st of 2016, Trevor Nelson died of a heroin overdose and the family determined that more needed to be done to stop the epidemic. Since then, the Police Chief has looked into getting narcan for emergency cases such as this one.

Heroin in the Arts Musical/Movie called Rent dealt with death and those who are trying to get over their addiction to drugs, specifically heroin. Mimi, a character in the musical/movie, is a heroin addict in the film and has a number called “Light My Candle” talking about her lost bag of heroin and how “it was pure” and shows signs of her addiction.

Works Cited http://www.heroindetoxrehab.com/drug-paraphernalia-associated-with-heroin/ http://www.narconon.org/drug-information/heroin-information.html https://www.deamuseum.org/ccp/opium/history.html http://www.asam.org/docs/default-source/advocacy/opioid-addiction-disease-facts-figures.pdf http://www.wral.com/after-fuquay-varina-man-s-death-family-pushes-for-expanded-availability-of- overdose-drug-/16345966/ http://www.substance.com/broadway-on-drugs-ten-top-musicals-that-use-substances/11696/