Heroin Essays (Examples)

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Although there is a broad range of treatment options for heroin addiction, including medications and behavioral therapies, research indicates that when medication treatment is integrated with other supportive services, the addict is more often able to recover and return to a stable and productive lifestyle (NIDA). In 1997, a panel of national experts concluded that opiate drug addictions are diseases of the brain and medical disorders that can be treated effectively, and recommended broader access to methadone maintenance treatment programs, including the elimination of Federal and state regulation barriers impeding this access (NIDA). The panel also emphasized the importance of providing substance abuse counseling, psychosocial therapies, and other supportive services to enhance retention and successful outcomes (NIDA).

Methadone blocks the effects of heroin for approximately 24 hours and has a proven successful when prescribed at a high dosage level. Other medications include naloxone, which is used to treat overdoses, and naltrexone,….

According to NIDA: A range of treatments exist for heroin addiction, including medications and behavioral therapies. Science has taught us that when medication treatment is combined with other supportive services, patients are often able to stop using heroin (or other opiates) and return to stable and productive lives. (NIDA, August 2009, p. 2) Drug treatment options are used often in combination with traditional cognitive behavioral and social behavioral therapies to reduce the craving for the drug and include: Methadone Buprenorphine, Naltrexone. (NIDA August 2009, pp. 2-4)
Heroin's Appearance

The drug can appear as a white or brown powder or in the form of a brown sticky substance known on the street as "black tar heroin." (NIDA August 2009, p. 1)

Long-Term Effects,

There are many long-term effects of heroin, not including the life interruption process of treatment and recovery that include; cognitive impairment (Ornstein et al. 2000, p. 113) life altering patterns of….

Heroin Addiction
The drug known as heroin is a form of morphine, derived from poppy seeds. It is very easy to become addicted to heroin because of the euphoric feeling that it creates in the person who uses the drug. Morphine and its derivative heroin is a downer, this is the slang term for a depressant. It "affects the brain's pleasure systems and interferes with the brain's ability to perceive pain" (Drug 2011). The first dosage gives the person a high that alleviates all worry and releases endorphins. After this, the user must increase the dosage of heroin each time in order to achieve that same feeling. Each usage needs more of the drug and the amount of heroin that is injected or taken orally increases exponentially (Fernandez 2011). This is why so many heroin addicts overdose accidentally. Overcoming heroin addiction is very difficult and requires the assistance of strong medical….

Medication for heroin addiction includes Methadone, LAAM, Naloxone, Naltrexone, and Buprenorphine. Of these, methadone is the most widely used. Methadone is a legal drug that can only be obtained with a doctor's prescription. It allows the heroin addict to function normally, but its disadvantage comes with its being addicting as well (Simpson, 1997). In a study by Blanken, Hendriks, Koeter, van ee, & van den Brink (2005), they found that patients who had previously participated in abstinence-orientated treatment responded significantly better to treatment with medically prescribed heroin plus methadone than to standard methadone maintenance treatment, while patients without experience in abstinence-orientated treatment did equally well in heroin-assisted or methadone maintenance treatment. Among the behavioral therapies for heroin addiction, two have emerged successful: Contingency Management Therapy, and Cognitive-Behavioral Interventions (Parker & Parker, 2002). The Contingency Management Therapy utilizes a voucher-based system in which the patient can earn points for each….

Heroin Abuse and Addiction
A drug can be any substance, which can modify the functions of every living organism that consumes it. In medical terms, drugs provide instant but temporary relief from several unhealthy symptoms. Drugs such as Heroin produce many unwanted side effects. They are extremely toxic and can lead to a very unhealthy dependency that has behavioral and physiological roots, both. Heroin has lasting health consequences; it can also lead to death. The purpose of this essay is to provide a literature review of causes and consequences of heroin abuse and addiction. Our culture surrounds abuse of the heroin substance that leads to diseases and other problems indirectly.

A Literature review on Heroin Abuse and Addiction

Excessive use of painkillers and other relief providing substances lead to addiction. There is a fine line between substance abuse and substance addiction. Addiction can be any inherited disease and it makes an individual….

heroin addiction that St. Germain has as well as her relationship with her brother. The poem gives a vivid description of the entire injection process. There is personification when giving a description of the veins where the piercing is to be done so as to get the heroin into her system. The veins are described as being al blue and throbbing just wanting to be pierced. The use of the personification of the veins intensely brings out the message of the urge that he had to get the heroin into his system. The grip which the brother had on the opposite arm is likened to a grip which is as tight as death. This communicates the message that when piercing is being done there should be a tight grip probably so that the process can take place smoothly and also showing the serious needs of the process that is….

Heroin Marketplace
PAGES 5 WORDS 1892

Exchange in a Heroin Marketplace
In this chapter, the case study basically put the emphasis on exchange so as to reason that illicit drug marketplaces which were being produced and then reproduced by means of a dynamic and complex relations and social processes. This case study does give the understanding that contrasts with dominant conceptions of drug (and other) marketplaces that view them as driven by the mechanism of supply and demand, that mainly pay no attention to their constituent social relations and that have a habit of reifying the 'market' as an object to be measured instead of a process to be understood. This case study for this chapter likewise tests dominant and stigmatizing buildings of heroin users and sellers as degraded, abject 'others', showing that, in their day-to-day lives, they take part in similar practices and struggle with a lot of the same challenges as regular people do.….

Treatment Strategies for Heroin/Opioid AddictionIntroductionThis paper examines research on treatment strategies for heroin/opioid addiction, with a focus on three specific approaches: antagonist therapy, aversive therapy, and anti-drug vaccine research.Antagonist therapy is a type of treatment for heroin addiction that works by blocking the effects of the drug. It is typically used in conjunction with other forms of treatment, such as counseling and behavioral therapy. There are two main types of antagonists: natural and synthetic. Natural antagonists, such as naltrexone, bind to the same receptors in the brain as heroin, but they do not produce the same effects. Synthetic antagonists, on the other hand, are designed to bind more strongly to the receptors and prevent heroin from binding at all. Both types of antagonists have been shown to be effective in reducing heroin use and preventing relapse. However, they are not without side effects, and they must be used in combination….

History of Heroin
PAGES 3 WORDS 1101

Heroin History -- San Diego
Brief Introduction to the History of Heroin

The drug known today as "heroin" is actually an opioid that was first synthesized into heroin in 1874. In fact heroin was also synthesized by the Bayer aspirin company in 1897 and sold as a legal pain-killer for years prior to its regulation in the United States. "The initial response to the launch of heroin by the Bayer Company was overwhelmingly positive," according to an article published in the Sunday Times (1998). The chemist for Bayer was Heinrich Dreser, and he wrote about heroin in several medical journals, and additional studies "…endorsed the view that heroin could be effective in treating asthma, bronchitis, phthisis and tuberculosis" (Sunday Times, p. 2).

By the year 1899 Bayer was making about "…a ton of heroin a year," and the company exported its brand of heroin to 23 countries; but the citizens most willing to….

Effects of Heroin
PAGES 5 WORDS 1612

Heroin is a powerful, highly addictive drug that is derived from opium. It was first synthesized from morphine in the 1890s and was initially considered to be an effective pain killer and cough suppressant. Its harmful effects were, however, soon recognized and heroin's manufacture and sale is now illegal in most countries because of its widespread abuse and habit forming qualities. The number of heroin addicts in the United States alone is around 2 million and despite the restrictions and crack-down on the manufacturing and use of the drug, illicit heroin trade still thrives in many parts of the world due to the continuing demand for the drug and very high profits involved in its trade. This paper focuses on the effects of heroin and discusses:
Physical effects of heroin: short- and long-term

Psychological effects of heroin: short- and long-term

Sociological effects of heroin: short- and long-term

Observable signs and symptoms of acute intoxication

Physical….

If they stay connected to their program, to aftercare, and to a structured twelve step program, they have a chance for successful recovery.
ecently, there have been calls for insurance companies to cooperate in the treatment goals for addicts (Starr, Sonja, 2002, p. 2321). If the insurance carriers cooperate, there is every reason to believe that greater progress can be made in the treatment of heroin addiction. It would allow the patient the opportunity to pursue the treatment modalities that would help the patient learn to transition from an addiction behavior pattern, to a behavior pattern that excludes the addiction behavior pattern. Pursuing sobriety often requires a complete restructure of the client's personal life, friends, and even intimate relationships.

Treatment for heroin is physically and mentally challenging, but many of the former addicts have shared their stories of post addiction successes that serve to inspire and encourage others to seek treatment….

Why have the rates of heroin use increased in Indiana and how has the nature of crime changed as a result of drug use in Indiana?The use of heroin has increased for a litany of reasons. As the video indicates, the pharmaceutical companies have created drugs that are so effective, that they often create a culture of dependance. These drugs, which are designed to cure certain elements often lead to addictions due to their overall potency. Likewise, cultural issues related to drugs have also caused a increase in usage of heroin in Indiana. Historically, the state has suffered for a long and protracted issue related to drugs. In response the state has increased oversight and supervision of drug related offenses in the states. This has caused the larger and more pronounced issues related to methamphetamines to decline over time. To replace it, heroin started to increase in usage, according to….

Demographic Information Jodi is a 22-year-old Hispanic female. She is a single mother but does not live with her daughter who enrolled in the foster care system. She completed her general educational development (GED) tests, but her Certified Nursing Assistant Training Program is still pending. Her past medical history indicates that she gave birth prematurely but has no known allergies.
Assessment of Data
Jodi became pregnant and gave birth to a daughter after a raped ordeal. She patient has a five-year addiction to treatment. She administers the drug five to six times a day through the intravenous route. She enrolled in both the outpatient and inpatient detoxification programs but did not finish. She was treated with Suboxone for one month before she abandoned the pharmacological therapy and has a history of marijuana and alcohol abuse. Moreover, Jodi has depression that has led to a suicide attempt. Despite being diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder….

Heroin Affect a Caucasian Family?
Cicero, T., Ellis, M., Surratt, H., Kurtz, S. (2014). The changing face of heroin use in the United States. JAMA Psychiatry, 71(7): 821-826. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2014.366.

The study is from a scholarly, peer-reviewed, academic journal: it shows that heroin use has changed over the past 50 years in terms of demographic affected. While it use to be a problem that largely impacted inner-city minorities, now it is being used primarily by "white men and women in their late 20s living outside of large urban areas" (p. 821). The consequence of this shift is that more Caucasian families are impacted by heroin use than ever before. The study hypothecates that a reason for the shift in demographic is the cheapness and availability of the drug; however, there is some social acceptance, as one subject notes, "All of my friends use heroin and I know multiple people who will sell it….

Heroin Impact on Caucasian Family?
A large number of Caucasian families are plagued with the issue of heroin use, mostly consumed via injections. This is a major public health issue. Viral hepatitis, HIV and other dangers associated with heroin dependence, as well as social harm resulting from accompanying poverty and crime, exceed those of almost all other drugs used. A majority of Caucasian households are indirectly as well as directly impacted by the aforementioned diseases.

Increased pureness and decreased drug costs are potential factors contributing to the trend of decreased age of first-time consumption and increased initiation into habitual consumption in the Caucasian population. As heroin dependence can be successfully cured, primary care providers need to check their patients for this problem.

This paper serves two purposes. Firstly, it attempts to study substance abuse's socio-economic effects on Caucasian people. Secondly, depending on this analysis, it attempts to provide recommendations on how drug dependence….

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8 Pages
Term Paper

Sports - Drugs

Heroin Like All Drugs Knows

Words: 2385
Length: 8 Pages
Type: Term Paper

Although there is a broad range of treatment options for heroin addiction, including medications and behavioral therapies, research indicates that when medication treatment is integrated with other supportive services,…

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6 Pages
Research Paper

Sports - Drugs

Heroin History of Heroin Is

Words: 1935
Length: 6 Pages
Type: Research Paper

According to NIDA: A range of treatments exist for heroin addiction, including medications and behavioral therapies. Science has taught us that when medication treatment is combined with other…

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2 Pages
Research Paper

Sports - Drugs

Heroin Addiction the Drug Known as Heroin

Words: 623
Length: 2 Pages
Type: Research Paper

Heroin Addiction The drug known as heroin is a form of morphine, derived from poppy seeds. It is very easy to become addicted to heroin because of the euphoric feeling…

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2 Pages
Thesis

Sports - Drugs

Heroin Addiction Heroin Is an

Words: 914
Length: 2 Pages
Type: Thesis

Medication for heroin addiction includes Methadone, LAAM, Naloxone, Naltrexone, and Buprenorphine. Of these, methadone is the most widely used. Methadone is a legal drug that can only be…

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8 Pages
Essay

Sports - Drugs

Heroin Abuse and Addiction a Drug Can

Words: 2071
Length: 8 Pages
Type: Essay

Heroin Abuse and Addiction A drug can be any substance, which can modify the functions of every living organism that consumes it. In medical terms, drugs provide instant but…

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2 Pages
Peer Reviewed Journal

Sports - Drugs

Heroin Addiction That St Germain Has as

Words: 671
Length: 2 Pages
Type: Peer Reviewed Journal

heroin addiction that St. Germain has as well as her relationship with her brother. The poem gives a vivid description of the entire injection process. There is personification…

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5 Pages
Essay

Sports - Drugs

Heroin Marketplace

Words: 1892
Length: 5 Pages
Type: Essay

Exchange in a Heroin Marketplace In this chapter, the case study basically put the emphasis on exchange so as to reason that illicit drug marketplaces which were being produced…

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10 Pages
Term Paper

Psychology

Heroin Addiction and Vaccine Therapy

Words: 2963
Length: 10 Pages
Type: Term Paper

Treatment Strategies for Heroin/Opioid AddictionIntroductionThis paper examines research on treatment strategies for heroin/opioid addiction, with a focus on three specific approaches: antagonist therapy, aversive therapy, and anti-drug vaccine research.Antagonist…

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3 Pages
Research Paper

Sports - Drugs

History of Heroin

Words: 1101
Length: 3 Pages
Type: Research Paper

Heroin History -- San Diego Brief Introduction to the History of Heroin The drug known today as "heroin" is actually an opioid that was first synthesized into heroin in 1874. In…

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5 Pages
Term Paper

Sports - Drugs

Effects of Heroin

Words: 1612
Length: 5 Pages
Type: Term Paper

Heroin is a powerful, highly addictive drug that is derived from opium. It was first synthesized from morphine in the 1890s and was initially considered to be an effective…

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5 Pages
Essay

Sports - Drugs

Hardships of Breaking Heroin Addiction

Words: 1569
Length: 5 Pages
Type: Essay

If they stay connected to their program, to aftercare, and to a structured twelve step program, they have a chance for successful recovery. ecently, there have been calls for…

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2 Pages
Essay

Drugs / Alcohol

how heroin addictions can impact crime

Words: 593
Length: 2 Pages
Type: Essay

Why have the rates of heroin use increased in Indiana and how has the nature of crime changed as a result of drug use in Indiana?The use of heroin…

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8 Pages
Case Study

Health

Treatment Plan for Heroin Abuse

Words: 2549
Length: 8 Pages
Type: Case Study

Demographic Information Jodi is a 22-year-old Hispanic female. She is a single mother but does not live with her daughter who enrolled in the foster care system. She completed her…

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2 Pages
Essay

Drugs and Alcohol

The Effect of Heroin on White America

Words: 612
Length: 2 Pages
Type: Essay

Heroin Affect a Caucasian Family? Cicero, T., Ellis, M., Surratt, H., Kurtz, S. (2014). The changing face of heroin use in the United States. JAMA Psychiatry, 71(7): 821-826. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2014.366. The study…

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9 Pages
Essay

Drugs and Alcohol

How Does Heroin Impact a Caucasian Family

Words: 3326
Length: 9 Pages
Type: Essay

Heroin Impact on Caucasian Family? A large number of Caucasian families are plagued with the issue of heroin use, mostly consumed via injections. This is a major public health issue.…

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