Heroin on the Rise

Danielle PooleHlth 252

August 2015

Focus group: High School students of Frederick County MD

The “411” on Heroin

Heroin is an opium derivative Opium was introduced to the US in the mid 1800s Heroin was developed in 1874 in Germany Opium was given as a cure for alcoholism by the late 1800's Labeled as a replacement for aspirin in late 1800s and very early

1900s Sold as cough medicine for children and cure for morphine addiction

It was a popular drug of choice in saloons Heroin, morphine, and other opiates were legally sold until 1920 when the dangers

were noticed Dangerous Drug Act was put in place by Congress The law was enacted too late By 1925 there were 200,000 people addicted to heroin

“None of my friends are doing it, so is it really even an issue?” The use of heroin in the U.S. has increased 75% in the past 5 years The fastest growing age group of abusers are under 21

That means there ARE people around you in high school using heroin Prescription painkillers are becoming harder to obtain and costly to

buy, so… The next best option is heroin

24% of high school students have abused prescription drugs As heroin use increases, so does heroin-related death rate

How is heroin used? Injected (veins and muscles), snorted, and

smoked If injected:

7-8 seconds until “rush” (intravenous) 5-8 minutes (Intramuscular) a syringe is used directly into bloodstream liquid form you get more “high” for your dollar

If snorted: 10-15 minutes until rush sniffed in through nostrils lines of powder heroin

If smoked: 2-5 minutes until rush Rolled in marijuana-like joints

http://www.recoveryinstitute.com/site/en/heroin.html

http://www.howtoquitheroin.com/What_is_Heroin.html

Heroin traveling through your body Very rapidly heroin travels through the blood stream because of its

lipid solubility (within minutes, sometimes even seconds)

Heroin goes straight for your brain by crossing the blood0brain barrier with ease

Once in the brain, heroine converts to morphine and attaches to opiate receptors (located on neurons)

Where is the action taking place? Heroin throws a party in your brain leading to a horrible sense of

withdrawal and hangover Heroin works in the brain by attaching to opioid receptors A sense of euphoria is experienced The attachment signals a release of dopamine which is a

neurotransmitter associated with feelings

How does your body combat the drug?

Because heroin is derived from the poppy plant the body does not have a difficult time metabolizing and excreting

Once heroin is in the body it is metabolized into a purer form known as morphine Heroin is metabolized within hours, so when testing for it in the system the tests look

for metabolites If metabolites are present that means they are still looking for heroin to break down

How does the drug leave your body?

Although heroin is metabolized quickly… it can linger in the body for a few

days hair follicles can hold residue of

heroin and its metabolites for months Heroin is excreted through the

urinary system

http://headsup.scholastic.com/students/drug-facts-heroin

Current treatments Pharmacological treatments

proven to ease withdrawal symptoms and “are safer and less likely to produce the harmful behaviors that characterize addiction” (Heroin, 2014)

Types of medications: Methadone

slow-acting opioid agonist Taken orally so that it reaches the brain slowly

buprenorphine partial opioid agonist relieves drug cravings without producing the “high” or dangerous side effects of other

opioids Naltrexone

opioid antagonist blocks the action of opioids, is not addictive or sedating, and does not result in physical

dependence

Behavioral changes and therapy proven effective in reducing the abuse of heroin and are “designed to help

modify the patient’s expectations and behaviors related to drug use and to increase skills in coping with various life stressors” (Heroin, 2014)

contingency management Points system Determined by drug tests Rewards given to promote healthy living

cognitive-behavioral therapy Reduce and modify abuser’s expectations of heroin Promote coping skills for life stressors so that drugs are not the first option

Sometimes just medication or just therapy is not effective for a patient so they need a mix of both

Prevention Program

Stricter laws on heroin drug use and possession

Instead of jail time, states should pay for rehabilitation programs for addicts

Health departments and local middle and high schools should band together

After school programs should be put in place in high risk demographic areas for heroin abuse

Health classes should be a part of every year of high school

Students should not only be taught the dangers of heroin

Students should also be told where to get help locally and options to help with life stressors other than drugs

More attention and help should be given to the age groups at risk

Students should be taught signs and risk factors so that they can look out and help others in the community

References

Heroin. (2014, November 1). Retrieved July 27, 2015, from http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-reports/heroin/what-are-treatments-heroin-addiction

History of Heroin. (n.d.). Retrieved August 15, 2015, from http://www.narconon.org/drug-information/heroin-history.html

Substances - Heroin. (n.d.). Retrieved August 18, 2015, from http://steinhardt.nyu.edu/appsych/chibps/heroin

What is Heroin. (n.d.). Retrieved August 16, 2015, from http://www.howtoquitheroin.com/What_is_Heroin.html