Frequently Asked Questions About Heroin Usage

Althoughheroin abusehas trended downward for several years, it has regained popularity in the aftermath of the government's crackdown on prescription drug abuse.

When authorities began closing down the "pill mills" in Florida and other locations and set up prescription-tracking programs to prevent patients from "doctor shopping" to get more than one prescription for pain pills, it made obtaining painkillers more difficult and drove up the price on the black market.

Therefore, heroin became more available in some areas than OxyContin and was cheaper, the nation began to see a dramatic increase in heroin overdose deaths. An increase in the purity of heroin available on the market and a decrease in prices has created a concern for public safety.

Here are the most frequently asked questions about heroin, compiled by the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

What Is Heroin?

Heroin是一种从罂粟植物的种子荚中从吗啡加工的高度上瘾的药物。在美国东部，大多数海洛因在街上出售白色粉末纯海洛因，在南美洲和东南亚加工。在美国西海岸，主要的海洛因是墨西哥生产的黑色粘滞“黑色焦油”海洛因。

美国在美国使用的范围是什么？

After years of declining use in the United States, in 2006 heroin use began a steady increase in usage across cultural and geographic lines throughout the country. The increase coincided with a nationwide crackdown on prescription drug abuse. Some observers believe the resulting declining supply and increasing prices of pain pills drove users to turn to more available and cheaper heroin.

海洛因如何使用？

纯海洛因大多在东方美国销售。通常是一种白色粉末，可以注射，哼，嗅闻或吸烟。在该国西部地区流行的黑焦油海洛因通常被解散和稀释，然后被用户注射。许多人中很多new usersof heroin are smoking it, under the misconception that it is less addictive if smoked.

什么是直接（短期）效果？

海洛因是否注射，哼了一下或熏制了用户体验an immediate "rush" followed by a feeling of euphoria as it is converted back to morphine in the brain. The only difference is the user experiences the rush more quickly if the heroin is injected or snorted than he does if the drug is smoked. The high is not only quicker, but it is also more intense.

什么是长期影响？

海洛因用户迅速为药物积累了耐受性，这意味着他们需要更多的东西或者更常见的是实现更多相同的效果that they felt when they first used it. Consequently, with the increased usage, they can become addicted very quickly. Heroin also can cause physical and physiological changes and imbalances in the brain that are very difficult to reverse, even when the user gets clean and sober.

What Are the Medical Complications of Chronic Use?

因为海洛因使用抑郁呼吸，很多用户都会发展肺部并发症，随着用户的一般健康，可能导致结核结核病和某些类型的肺炎。由于使用药物本身以及与海洛因的用途以及与药物混合的其他物质有关，还有许多其他负面医疗后果以及与药物混合的其他物质增加。

How Does Heroin Abuse Affect Pregnant Women?

If a woman uses heroin while she is pregnant, her未出生的孩子就像母亲一样，可以培养对药物的依赖。当宝宝出生并且不再通过胎盘接受海洛因供应时，孩子进入称为新生儿禁忌综合征（NAS）的病症，需要进行广泛的医疗。

为什么用户有特殊风险合同艾滋病毒/艾滋病和乙型肝炎和C？

简单地使用海洛因本身不会增加风险收缩艾滋病毒或肝炎。但是，与海洛因使用相关的活动和行为可以增加暴露于疾病和病毒感染的风险。不受保护的性别，使用“肮脏”针，分享针和分享其他地用症可以增加风险。

瘾的治疗方法是什么？

与其他一些类似甲基苯丙胺的药物不同，有各种各样的药物治疗方案提供给那些有希望停止使用heroin. There are several medications available that help with quitting heroin that research has found to be effective if combined with other behavioral therapies.

What Are the Opioid Analogs and Their Dangers?

虽然在化学结构中不同，但具有与其他药物不同的化合物的化合物称为药物类似物。其中一些是合法的，由药品制造商生产用于医疗用途。

Other drug analogs, however, are produced illegally and sometimes are more dangerous and potent than the original drug. These analogs are sometimes called designer drugs.

两种最着名的阿片类药物是fentanyland meperidine (marketed under the brand name Demerol). Fentanyl was developed in 1968 as an analgesic during surgery because of its minimal effects on the heart.

Fentanyl is particularly dangerous because it is 50 times more potent than heroin and can quickly stop the person's breathing. In a surgical setting, that is not a problem because the patient is on a machine to help them breathe.

But when abused illegally, on the street, fentanyl can be deadly.

2014年初，由于海洛因在与芬太尼混合的街道上销售，因此报告了一种药物过量的皮疹。