Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Whether you are a parent or an individual caught in the clutches of addiction, there are several things that you need to know about heroin and heroin addiction. The following is a list of some of the most important elements of this harmful drug and how it impacts the lives of those who use it. Ten Things to Know about Heroin and Heroin Addiction Heroin can cause serious peripheral health issues. More than almost any other drug, heroin puts the individual at risk for a number of serious health problems not directly associated with the drug itself. IV users who inject heroin are among the most likely people in the world to be stricken with HIV/AIDS or hepatitis as a result of sharing dirty, used needles. Heroin can be ingested several different ways. There are three primary ways that an individual generally ingests heroin: shooting the drug into their veins with a needle, snorting the powder form of heroin, or smoking heroin (often mixed with cocaine). Heroin was once available in a number of different consumer products. In the early part of the 20th Century, heroin was actually the active ingredient in a number of different products, including cough suppressants and morphine addiction curatives. The way people use heroin has changed in recent years. As recently as 15 years ago, over three quarters of all heroin users took the drug by injecting it. Today that number has shrunk to 65%, as the number of individuals snorting heroin has grown. Heroin is costly habit. The average heroin addict spends between $150 and $250 per day on his or her habit. Heroin is being used in our schools. Between 2% – 3% of all high school seniors surveyed state that they will have used heroin at least once by the time they graduate the 12th grade. Heroin detox is NOT rehab. Despite the claims of many facilities, heroin detox treatment is only a part of the heroin addiction recovery process. In order to break the cycle of addiction, an individual must address both the physical heroin dependence (through detox) and the psychological component (through counseling and aftercare). There are a number of street names for heroin. There are a number of colorful slang terms associated with heroin, including: smack, “H”, horse, white horse, junk, train and chiva. Heroin addiction causes heart and liver problems. Two of the most serious long-term effects of heroin addiction are heart disease and liver failure. Heroin addicts rarely seek treatment on their own. A person addicted to heroin is highly unlikely to admit that he or she has a problem on their own. It is usually up to family and friends to step in and make sure the individual gets the heroin addiction treatment help they need.

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