Heroin

Heroin was developed during the American Civil War to treat morphine addiction.  During this time medicine was limited and many treatments were amputation and morphine was used widely used as a pain killer.  Heroin is four times more addictive than morphine which caused more problems and more addictions.  Heroine is used as a pain killer in medicine.  The reason why it is used is because it causes less nausea and has more effect with smaller amounts.  Heroin exists in a white crystalline powder.  The colour does vary however depending on where is has been produced and cut with.  It can be taken in many ways like snorting, smoking but the most commonly known way is injection.  Heroin is a derivative of opium and so comes from the opium poppy.

Toxic effects

Symptoms usually start within one hour of ingestion and about 3-5 minutes after injection. As with opium the main effect is the depression of the central nervous system.  This creates the euphoric effect that comes from the intake.

Symptoms

With an excess amount of heroin in the system it causes the following symptoms:

1.    Slow shallow breathing.

2.    Blurred vision.

3.    Very low blood pressure.

4.    Cramps in the extremities.

5.    Lungs can fill with fluid.

Death comes from respiratory paralysis.

Lethal dose

It is not so much the amount that is the biggest killer when heroin is taken, but the impurities contained within this drug and the fact that alcohol is also a contributing factor.  However, it is known that 200 – 500 mg of heroin can cause fatal effects.