The illegal drug heroin derives from the same opium poppy plant as legal but controlled narcotics such as morphine, oxycodone and codeine. Called an opiate because of its origins, heroin once was legal in the United States until the Harrison Narcotics Tax Act of 1914 which controlled distribution and finally outlawed completely in 1924 by the U.S. Congress' Heroin Act. It was created and named "heroin," the original brand name of the drug, by Bayer. Recreational users of the drug inject, snort or ingest it.
Euphoric Rush
People using heroin become addicted for two main reasons. The euphoric rush of the substances occurs after heroin injection. The person may feel warmness similar to a flushing of the body's skin, Drugs.com reports. It causes dryness of the mouth to occur as well as the person's arms and legs to become heavy. The second reason for addiction occurs because as the body adjusts to the drug, the person builds a tolerance and needs ever larger doses of it.
Drowsiness and Coma
The person who experiences heroin ingestion appears in a drowsy type state of mind and body. He may state that he feels calm and tired at he same time. He will be slow to react to situations. His eyes will appear droopy and his pupils will be constricted. Along with other effects such as respiratory depression and bradycardia or a reduced heart rate, the person may fall into a coma, says MayoClinic.com. Shallow breathing may occur because of the shutdown of the body's major systems that circulate oxygen and blood throughout the body. The person will appear dead and her breathing will be close to nothingness. The slowed heartbeat may stop and this occurrence may end up in fatality as death may occur because of overdose.
Respiratory Depression
Respiratory depression is caused by decreased ability of the central nervous system to message within the respiratory system of the body, says Drugs.com. The breathing of the person may appear shallow and the person almost appears deceased. Breathing may fall below the normal respiratory rate and the person does not take initiative for deeper more normal breaths.
Clammy skin
The person's skin will feel moist and cool to the touch. She will not feel her skin's condition. The clammy skin occurs because of the decrease of the heart as its ability slows down by the increased sedative effects of heroin, says Drugs.com. The skin will also appear greenish and pale.
Long-term Medical Effects
According to the Cleveland Clinic, continued use of heroin predisposes the person to major illnesses such as pneumonia. The person may acquire the human immunodeficiency viral infection or HIV because of needle sharing and unsafe sexual practices. Other infections in major body organs also may happen. Changes in behaviors occur because of the constant need for ever-growing amounts of heroin. Because of its highly addictive nature, heroin addicts will spend a lot of time trying to obtain it to meet psychological and physical dependence.
Withdrawal Effects
Withdrawal quickly occurs if the person does not have heroin in the body. This serious withdrawal state causes hot and cold flashes, diarrhea, trouble sleeping, goose bumps on skin, restlessness and aches in bones and muscles of the body, the Cleveland Clinic states. The person will become highly irritable and will seek the drug for a fix.
