Heroin
Heroin is a highly addictive analgesic drug. Heroin, which is a popular choice of drug in America, is not a new drug that magically popped up in the late 1960’s. In the mid 1800’s opium was a popular drug. Opium was brought to the country by Chinese immigrants who came here to work on railroads. In the old west alcoholism as a big problem and opium was promoted as a cure for alcoholism. Before it was illegal opium was developed as a pain killer in 1810. “It was considered a wonder drug because it eliminated severe pain associated with medical operations or traumatic injuries”.
Heroin became popular in 1930’s and 1940s and then through the Beatnik subculture of the 1950s. During this period the major supply of heroin entering the U.S. Heinrichr Drese, a German physician, discovered heroin in 1895. He mixed acetyls with morphine, and thus, heroin was created.
“Heroine is made in several different ways but they all come back to a single base- Morphine. Morphine comes from Opium, the resinous substance found inside the fruit of the opium poppy. Once the opium is harvested, its three main alkaloids (alkaloids are basically a biochemical found in plants) are separated into:Morphine, Codeine, Thebaine.
Morphine and Codeine are the only two alkaloids which can be converted into Heroin.
Thebaine is the base for bupenephrine which is a very strong narcotic pharmacologically and is mostly used in the treatment of opiate/opiod addiction.”
Heroin has several different kinds of appearances. The purest heroin is a white powder but unlike cocaine it does not have a crystalline structure visible to the human eye; it looks more like powdered milk. The most commonly heroin in the U.S. is brown heroin. The lowest grade of heroin is Tar. It’s called Tar heroin because it looks like black tar. Usually a powder containing heroin (diacetylmorphine) hydrochloride and some kind of filler. This can be snorted or injected, sometimes it is heated on foil to create vapors to inhale, rarely
Heroin became popular in 1930’s and 1940s and then through the Beatnik subculture of the 1950s. During this period the major supply of heroin entering the U.S. Heinrichr Drese, a German physician, discovered heroin in 1895. He mixed acetyls with morphine, and thus, heroin was created.
“Heroine is made in several different ways but they all come back to a single base- Morphine. Morphine comes from Opium, the resinous substance found inside the fruit of the opium poppy. Once the opium is harvested, its three main alkaloids (alkaloids are basically a biochemical found in plants) are separated into:Morphine, Codeine, Thebaine.
Morphine and Codeine are the only two alkaloids which can be converted into Heroin.
Thebaine is the base for bupenephrine which is a very strong narcotic pharmacologically and is mostly used in the treatment of opiate/opiod addiction.”
Heroin has several different kinds of appearances. The purest heroin is a white powder but unlike cocaine it does not have a crystalline structure visible to the human eye; it looks more like powdered milk. The most commonly heroin in the U.S. is brown heroin. The lowest grade of heroin is Tar. It’s called Tar heroin because it looks like black tar. Usually a powder containing heroin (diacetylmorphine) hydrochloride and some kind of filler. This can be snorted or injected, sometimes it is heated on foil to create vapors to inhale, rarely
Bibliography: http://www.drugbeat.org/Facts&Effects/heroin.html http://www.drugs-forum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=191832 Ronnie Green, Tawaun Bills