Heroin

{| border="1" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" align="right" width="250px" style="border-collapse: collapse; margin: 0 0 0 0.5em" |- | bgcolor="#ffffff" align="center" colspan="2" |
''Diacetylmorphine'' |- | align="center" colspan="2" | IUPAC nomenclature name:
''(5α,6α)-7,8-didehydro-4,5-epoxy-
17-methylmorphinan-3,6-diol diacetate (ester)'' |- align="center" style="border-bottom: 3px solid gray" | CAS number
561-27-3 | ATC code
N02AA09 |- | bgcolor="#eeeeee" | Chemical formula | bgcolor="#ddeeff" | Carbon₂₁Hydrogen₂₃NitrogenOxygen₅ |- | bgcolor="#eeeeee" | Molecular weight | bgcolor="#ddeeff" | 369.42 |- | bgcolor="#eeeeee" | Bioavailability | bgcolor="#ddeeff" | ? |- | bgcolor="#eeeeee" | Metabolism | bgcolor="#ddeeff" | ? |- | bgcolor="#eeeeee" | half life | bgcolor="#ddeeff" | 3 minutes |- | bgcolor="#eeeeee" | Excretion | bgcolor="#ddeeff" | ? |- | bgcolor="#eeeeee" | Pregnancy category (pharmaceutical) | bgcolor="#ddeeff" | ? |- | bgcolor="#eeeeee" | Controlled Substance Act | bgcolor="#ddeeff" | Schedule I (USA) |- | bgcolor="#eeeeee" | Delivery | bgcolor="#ddeeff" | Vaporize, Insufflate, Intravenous infusion, Taken Orally |-

|- |Indicated for:
*Relief of extreme pain Recreational drug use uses:
*Euphoria *RelaxationEthics uses:
*? Other uses:
*Pain Relief *Cough Suppressant |- |Contraindications:
*Alcohol *Barbituates *Stimulants *Other Opioids |- |Side effects:

''Atypical sensations:'' *? ''Cardiovascular:'' *Lowered heart rate ''Ear, nose, and throat:'' *? ''Endocrinal:'' *? ''Eye:'' *Pupil constriction ''Gastrointestinal:'' *Nausea *Constipation ''Hematological:'' *? ''Muscleskeletal:'' *? ''Neurological:'' *Analgesia ''Psychological:'' *Confusion *Euphoria *Sedation ''Respiratory:'' *Slow respiration *Shallow respiration *Respiratory arrest ''Skin:'' *Itchiness ''Urogenital and reproductive:'' *? ''Miscellaneous:'' *? |} Heroin or diamorphine (International Nonproprietary Name) (colloquially referred to as junk, babania, horse, golden brown, smack, black tar, H, big H, lady H, dope, skag, juice, diesel, etc.) is an alkaloid opioid. Heroin is the 3,6-acetate derivative of morphine (hence diacetylmorphine) and is synthesised from it by acetylation. The white crystalline form is commonly the hydrochloride salt, diamorphine hydrochloride'''. It is highly Addiction. Heroin is controlled under Schedules I and IV of the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs[http://www.incb.org/pdf/e/list/yellow.pdf]. ==History== Heroin was first Chemical synthesis in 1874 by C.R.A. Wright, a United Kingdomchemist working at St. Mary's Hospital Medical School, London. He had been experimenting with combining morphine with various acids. He boiled anhydrous morphine alkaloid with acetic anhydride over a stove for several hours and produced a more potent, acetylated form of morphine. We now call it ''diacetylmorphine''. The compound was sent to F.M. Pierce of Owens College, Manchester, for analysis. He reported the following to Wright. :''Doses ... were Route of administration into young dogs and rabbits ... with the following general results ... great prostration, fear, and sleepiness speedily following the administration, the eyes being sensitive, and pupils dilated, considerable salivation being produced in dogs, and slight tendency to vomiting in some cases, but no actual emesis. Respiration was at first quickened, but subsequently reduced, and the heart's action was diminished, and rendered irregular. Marked want of coordinating power over the muscular movements, and loss of power in the pelvis and hind limbs, together with a diminution of temperature in the rectum of about 4�'' [http://adhpage.dilaudid.net/heroin.html] Heinrich Dreser, of Bayer Company in Elberfeld, Germany, noticed that diacetylmorphine was more potent than morphine. Bayer registered ''Heroin'' (meaning 'heroic treatment' from the German word ''heroisch'') as a trademark. From 1898 through to 1910 it was marketed as a non-addictive morphine substitute and cough medicine for children. As with Aspirin, Bayer lost some of its trademark rights to Heroin following World War I. In 1914 the Harrison Narcotics Tax Act made it illegal to manufacture or possess heroin in the United States. ==Usage and effects== Heroin is a μ-opioid (mu-opioid) agonist. Like all drugs of its class, it binds to and activates μ-opioid receptors found in the brain, spinal cord and gut. As a medicine, it is administered usually in the form of its hydrochloride as an analgesic for severe pain. It is illegal even for this purpose in the United States, but it is legally used by cancer patients in the United Kingdom and other countries. Heroin is also widely and illicitly used as a powerful and addictive drug producing intense euphoria, which often disappears with increasing tolerance. Although many other μ-opioid agonists (e.g., morphine) can produce essentially the same effects, it is thought that heroin's popularity with recreational users comes from its especially rapid onset. This in turn comes from its high lipid solubility provided by the two acetyl groups, resulting in a very rapid penetration of the blood-brain barrier after nasal inhalation or intravenous injection. Once in the brain, heroin is rapidly metabolized into morphine by removal of the acetyl groups. Methadone is another μ-opioid agonist often used to substitute for heroin in treatment for heroin addiction. Compared to heroin, methadone is well (but slowly) absorbed orally and has a much longer duration of action. Thus methadone maintenance avoids the rapid cycling between intoxication and withdrawal associated with heroin addiction. Also, by keeping the addict physically tolerant to opioids, methadone effectively blocks the euphoric effects of heroin. In this way, methadone has shown some success as a 'less harmful substitute'; it is in fact the single most effective treatment known for opioid addiction, and is recommended for those who have repeatedly failed complete detoxification. Heroin is similar in effects on brain chemistry to endorphins, the natural (endogenous) opioids of the body and less potent. It competes with the endorphins for the specialized endorphine (opioid) receptors found on the surfaces of some body cells. The body responds by reducing (or even stopping) production of endorphins when heroin is consumed. Endorphins are regularly released in the brain and nerves and attenuate pain. Their other functions, if any, are still obscure. The reduced endorphin production in heroin users makes them dependent on the heroin since a lack of either endorphins or heroin results in the extreme symptoms including pain (even in the absence of physical trauma). This is what causes the withdrawal symptoms in heroin addicts as the body takes some time to restore endorphin production. The University of Chicago undertook preliminary development of a heroin vaccine in monkeys during the 1970s, but it was abandoned. There were two main reasons for this. Firstly, when immunised monkeys had an increase in dose of x16, their antibodies became saturated and the monkey had the same effect from heroin as non-immunised monkeys. Secondly, until they reached the x16 point immunised monkeys would substitute other drugs to get a heroin-like effect. These factors suggested that immunised human addicts would simply either take massive quantities of heroin, or switch to other hard drugs. ==Production and illegal drug trade== Heroin is a controlled substance produced for the market through opium refinement processes. Traffic is heavy worldwide, with the biggest producer being Afghanistan, which after a ban on poppy growing by the Taliban in 2001 dropped its production by 95% but revived it to record numbers following the U.S. military occupation and fall of the Taliban government. Currently, an estimated 86% of the global heroin supply is cultivated in Afghanistan, up from 75% in 2003 according to the UN Office of Drugs and Crime. The estimated value of the 2003 harvest is 2.8 billion U.S. dollars. Some observers, particularly political conservatives in the United States, have accused People's Republic of China of being a leading producer of heroin, but evidence in support of this is questionable. Heroin is one of the most profitable illicit drugs since it is compact and easily concealed. At present, opium poppies are mostly grown in the Middle East, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, and in Asia, especially in the region known as the Golden Triangle straddling Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos and Yunnan province in China. There is also cultivation of opium poppies in the Sinaloa region of Mexico and in Colombia. The majority of the heroin consumed in the United States comes from Mexico and Colombia. ==Direct short and long term effects of heroin use== * mental confusion * euphoria * slow and shallow respiration leading to respiratory arrest * nausea and vomiting * constipation * death, caused either directly via overdose, or through diseases transmitted intravenous via contaminated injection needles (Some countries have instituted programs to supply clean needles to addicts to reduce these risks, but others — including the United States — have resisted such efforts.) ==General risks from illicit use== * HIV/AIDS and hepatitis infections from shared needles * overdose, sometimes fatal * long-term criminal involvement to support heroin habits * malnourishment * bacterial or fungal endocarditis * skin conditions from constant injecting, often with poor technique * poisoning from contaminants added to 'cut' or dilute heroin. ==Withdrawal symptoms== The withdrawal syndrome from heroin (or any other short-acting opioid) can begin within 12 hours of discontinuation of the sustained use of the drug: sweating, malaise, anxiety, clinical depression, persistent and intense penile erection in males (priapism), general feeling of heaviness, cramp-like pains in the limbs, yawning and lachrymation, sleep difficulties, nausea and vomiting, diarrhoea, cramps and fever occur. Many addicts also complain of a painful condition, the so-called "itchy blood". Abrupt termination of heroin use causes muscle spasms in the legs of the user, hence the term "kicking the habit." However, it must be noted that each person's symptoms can be unique. There is also a significant risk of tonic-clonic or grand mal seizures (although less so than during withdrawal from sedatives such as barbiturates), which can lead to stroke possibly resulting in permanent disability including blindness or paralysis, or heart attacks, which can potentially be fatal. Users seeking to take the "cold-turkey" (without any preparation or accompaniments) approach are generally more likely to experience the negative effects of withdrawals. Two general approaches are available to ease opioid withdrawal. The first is to substitute a longer-acting opioid such as methadone for heroin or another short-acting opioid and then slowly taper the dose. The other approach, which can be used alone or in combination, is to relieve withdrawal symptoms with non-opioid medications. In the second approach, benzodiazepine such as diazepam (Valium) ease the often extreme anxiety of opioid withdrawal. Many symptoms of opioid withdrawal are due to rebound hyperactivity of the sympathetic nervous system, and this can be effectively suppressed with clonidine (Catapres), a centrally-acting alpha-2 agonist primarily used to treat hypertension. Many addicts who have been through these programs say that the agony of withdrawal is very much attenuated. For those who repeatedly fail attempts at complete detoxification and relapse to heroin use, maintenance with regular doses of methadone is recommended. ==Drug interactions== Opiates are strong central nervous system depressants, but regular users develop physiological tolerance allowing gradually increased dosages. In combination with other central nervous system depressants, heroin may still kill experienced users. Toxicology studies of heroin overdose deaths reveal frequent involvement of other central nervous system depressants, including alcohol, benzodiazepines such as valium, and occasionally methadone. Ironically, benzodiazepines and methadone are often used in the treatment of heroin addiction. Cocaine also proves to be often fatal when used in combination with heroin. Though "speedballs" (when injected) or "moonrocks" (when smoked) are a popular mix of the two drugs used among addicts, combinations of stimulants and depressants can have unpredictable and sometimes fatal results. A heroin overdose is usually treated with an opioid Receptor antagonist, such as naloxone (Narcan) or naltrexone, which have a high affinity for opioid receptors but do not activate them. This blocks heroin and other opioid agonists and causes an immediate return of consciousness and start of withdrawal symptoms when administered intraveneously. ==Cultural influences== Due to both the dramatic effects of the drug on the consumer's life and the widespread use of heroin amongst artists, heroin consumption and addiction has been featured in numerous works of art, ranging from songs and films to novels. Amongst these are: ===Novels=== *''The Basketball Diaries '' by Jim Carroll *''Cain's Book'' by Alexander Trocchi *''Drawing Of The Three, The'', book 2 of The Dark Tower series by Stephen King *''Diary of a drug fiend'' by Aleister Crowley *''Jesus' Son'' by Denis Johnson *''Junk'' by Melvin Burgess *''Junky'' by William S. Burroughs *''Less Than Zero'' by Bret Easton Ellis *''The Man With the Golden Arm'' by Nelson Algren *''Naked Lunch'' by William S. Burroughs *''Requiem for a Dream (novel)'' by Hubert Selby *''Smack'' by Melvin Burgess *''Trainspotting (novel)'' by Irvine Welsh ===Factual accounts=== *''The Heroin User's Handbook'' by Francis Moraes *''Permanent Midnight'' by Jerry Stahl *''The Survival of the Coolest'' by William Pryor *''Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo'' (life story of Christiane F. a teenage German addict) *"Paranoid" Mick Wall *"Getting off Right: A Safety Manual for Injection Drug Users" by Harm Reduction Coalition *"How to Stop Time, Heroin from A-Z" by Anne Marlowe ===Films=== *''Bad Lieutenant'' directed by Abel Ferrara *''The Crow'' directed by Alex Proyas *''French Connection II'' directed by John Frankenheimer *''Gridlock'd'' directed by Vondie Curtis-Hall *''More (movie)'' directed by Barbet Schroeder *''Naked Lunch (movie)'' directed by David Cronenberg *''Payback'' directed by Brian Helgeland *''Permanent Midnight'' directed by David Veloz *''Pulp Fiction'' directed by Quentin Tarantino *''Ray (film)'' directed by Taylor Hackford *''Requiem for a Dream'' directed by Darren Aronofsky *''Rush'' directed by Lili Zanuck *''The Salton Sea'' directed by D.J. Caruso *''Sid and Nancy'' directed by Alex Cox *''Trainspotting (movie)'' directed by Danny Boyle *''Wasted'' directed by Stephen T. Kay ===Songs=== * "Heroin," "I'm Waiting for the Man," "White Light/White Heat," and "Sister Ray" by The Velvet Underground *"Macarthur Park" covered by Donna Summer *"Voodoo" by Godsmack *"Junkhead", "Real Thing", and "God Smack", by Alice in Chains *"Junkie Man" by Tim Armstrong *"Billy" by Bad Religion *"Hand of Doom" by Black Sabbath *"2x4" by Blind Melon *"Beetlebum" by Blur *"Heroin Girl" by Everclear (band) *"The Bewlay Brothers" and "China Girl" by David Bowie *"Perfect Blue Buildings" by Counting Crows *"Not If You Were the Last Junkie on Earth (Heroin Is So Passe)" by The Dandy Warhols *"Givin' Up" by The Darkness *"Aux enfants de la chance" and "My Lady Heroine" by Serge Gainsbourg *"Baltimore Love Thing" by 50 cent *"Jesus Shootin' Heroin" by The Flaming Lips *"Surfin' on Heroin" by Forgotten Rebels *"Black Balloon" by the Goo Goo Dolls *"Mr. Brownstone" by Guns N' Roses *"Mountain Song" by Jane's Addiction *"Some Candy Talking" by The Jesus and Mary Chain *"There She Goes" by The La's *"Cold Turkey" by John Lennon *"Signed D.C." by Love (band) *"The Needle and the Spoon" by Lynyrd Skynyrd *"Use the Man" and "Poison Was the Cure" by Megadeth *"Just One Fix" by Ministry (band) *"True Faith" by New Order *"Dumb" by Nirvana (band) *"China Girl" and "Lust for Life" by Iggy Pop *"Adios" by Rammstein *"Heroin" by Q-Strange *"Under the Bridge" by Red Hot Chili Peppers *"Perfect Day" by Lou Reed *"Braindead" by Red Red Meat *"Junkie's Promise" by Sonic Youth *"Dead Flowers", "Sister Morphine" and "Monkey Man" by The Rolling Stones *"Needle in the Hay", "The White Lady Loves You More", and "King's Crossing" by Elliott Smith *"Golden Brown" and "Skin Deep" by The Stranglers *"Pool Shark" by Sublime (band) *"I Believe in You" by Talk Talk *"Times of Trouble" by Temple of the Dog *"Chinese Rocks" by The Heartbreakers and The Ramones (written by Richard Hell and Dee Dee Ramone) *"Bad" and "Running to Stand Still" by U2 (band) *"Fall to Pieces" by Velvet Revolver *"Getting High Down Below" by Marty Willson-Piper *"The Needle and the Damage Done" by Neil Young *"Carmelita" by Warren Zevon *"Opium Trail" by Thin Lizzy *"Horrorshow" and "Skag and Bone Man" by The Libertines *"Heroin or Suicide" by Leftover Crack *"Gimme Heroin" By Morning Glory (band) *"Tension Head" by Queens of the Stone Age *"Angel" by Sarah McLachlan *"Nice Boys" by Rose Tattoo *"Dead Men Tell No Tales" by Mot�rhead *"Hurt" by Nine Inch Nails, famously covered by Johnny Cash *"The Beast" by The Only Ones *"The Addition" by Frank DeBlasi *"Comfortably Numb" by Pink Floyd *"Master of Puppets" by Metallica *"Mutiny in heaven" by The Birthday Party *"Sunday's slave" by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds *"Hateful" by The Clash *"Chase The Dragon" by The Beasts of Bourbon *"Opium" by Jump, Little Children *"Poppies" by Marcy Playground *"Mainliner" by Social Distortion *"Lust for Life", "China Girl" by Iggy Pop *"H." by Tool (band) *"Ljubav kao heroin" ("Love Like Heroin") by Laufer (Croatia) *"Theme From a Nod", "Year Of The Horse" by White Star Line *"Purple Pills" by Detroit's D12/Eminem *"Mojo Pin" by Jeff Buckley *"Love In Vein" by Skinny Puppy ===Musicals=== *''Rent (musical)'' by Jonathan Larson ==See also== * Black Tar Heroin * List of famous opiate addicts * Methadone * Oxycodone * Fentanyl * Recreational drug use ==External links== * [http://www.heroin-detox.com Forum about opiate addiction] * [http://www.geopium.org Geopium: Geopolitics of Illicit Drugs in Asia (French)] * [http://www.thegooddrugsguide.com/heroin/index.htm Good Drugs Guide] * [http://www.heroinhelper.com/ Heroin Helper] * [http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/heroin/flowers_to_heroin.htm From Flowers to Heroin], CIA publication. * [http://wired-vig.wired.com/wired/archive/13.04/bupe.html?pg=1&topic=bupe&topic_set= The mismanagement of methadone] *[http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/pubs/intel/20026/20026.html An article on heroin production, from cultivation to the end] *[http://www.erowid.org/chemicals/heroin/heroin.shtml Erowid heroin vault] ==Books== * ''Heroin'' (1998) ISBN 1568381530 * ''Heroin Century'' (2002) ISBN 0415278996 * ''This is Heroin'' (2002) ISBN 1860744249 AnalgesicsAromatic compoundsEstersEthersHeterocyclic basesMu-opioid agonistsSchedule I controlled substancesSemisynthetic opioidsms:Heroin

Heroin

== Endorphins == Whoever has written this page needs to re-evaluate his or her "scientific" background. Much of the information is ill-conceived, incomplete, or just plain WRONG. Take, for instance, the the last sentence- where the author says that herion addiction can be "easily relieved" with acupuncture. I bet the person writing this article owns an acupuncture clinic or something. Heroin is very similar to endorphins, the natural opiates of the body, but less potent. The body responds by stopping the production of endorphins after heroin consumption. Endorphins are regularly released in the brain and nerves to attenuate pain. The body's response in stopping endorphin production results in the slighest pains not being attenuated by the brain and therefore becoming an horrible agony. This is what causes the horrible withdrawal symptoms, although they can be easily relieved with the help of acupuncture. :That stuff was added by ,now banned user:Susan Mason aka Lir etc.. User:Mintguy 12:26, 16 Aug 2003 (UTC) :: Acupuncture has been proven to release endorphins... http://opioids.com/acupuncture/endorphin.html (follow on relavent links) - jungboho Wikipedia:Be bold in updating pages. If you think there are things that need to be changed, please change them. However, be sure to follow the Wikipedia policy of Wikipedia:Neutral point of view. Isn't the word "Heroin" a trade mark? -- User:Zoe It started out as one, but I believe the Bayer Company has let it lapse. --User:Infrogmation 03:18 15 Jun 2003 (UTC) This article repeats a claim I've seen elsewhere, that opioid withdrawal is caused by the opioid having suppressed natural endorphin production. If this were true, then administering an opioid antagonist like Narcan should trigger opioid withdrawal symptoms in all persons, not just those with opioid dependence. Narcan *does* block natural endorphins, such as are released by alcohol consumption or under stress. But Narcan has little or no effect on non-stressed, non-opioid-dependent persons, and this property is commonly used as a definitive clinical test for opioid dependence. Even if endorphin suppression is a factor, this would seem to be a minor mechanism compared with other mechanisms such as receptor up- and down-regulation in the parts of the brain indirectly affected by opioid use, such as the nucleus accumbens, the brain's "pleasure center". Does anyone have more authoritative information? User:Karn 27 Mar 2004 The paragraph beginning 'Heroin is chemically very similar to endorphins...' is not good. Heroin is chemically totally unlike endorphins which are peptides. I'm not convinced about the other points about withdrawal either but I don't know either way. I started revising that paragraph but it seemed like I was practically removing it. I realise it has been modified before but it is an awful paragraph. Perhaps the points raised can be blended elsewhere in the section. Any thoughts? == NPOV comment == ''While heroin is a dangerous drug, since it is a central nervous system depressant, it is the lack of available quality information, lack of quality control and infected syringes, which can transmit diseases such as AIDS, and hepatitis that cause the most trouble for heroin users. The money which can be made in supplying heroin addicts encourages a continuous supply, and the need to finance purchases generates considerable property crime.'' ''Critics of drug prohibition contend that since addiction can be treated, primarily by counseling and methadone substitution, most of the suffering surrounding heroin is indirectly caused by prohibition, not by the drug itself. Others argue that legalising drug use, to the level of tobacco and alcohol, will eliminate the organized crime associated with it.'' This section is POV, has no counterpoint, and is segued into from a more factual (presumably) topic. I moved the text here to let someone else deal with it. User:192.249.47.11 16:41, 22 Dec 2004 (UTC) This article has an ''anti-Americo-centric point of view'' when using phrases like "Unfortunately, the US public and government has not yet accepted the concept of clean needle exchanges to reduce heroin related deaths." This phrase points out the author's bias towards needle exchange programs and singles out the US its lack of such programs. I would suggest that the fairest way to treat this topic would be a separate article on needle exchange, including a comparison of the needle exchange policies of various countries. --User:Carej 13:54, 15 Jul 2004 (UTC) :The offending sentence has been removed. What is the justification for this page having "disputed neutrality"? -- User:AdamH 16:04, 19 Aug 2004 (UTC) If treatments are to be discussed, I think opiod antagonist treatments like naltrexone should be talked about == Heroin-in-lollipops pic == Does this pic belong in this article: :Image:Lollipops with h.jpg? The image is already in smuggling and Drug Enforcement Administration, but I was wondering if it should be placed here too? User:Quadell – User:Quadell^{(User_talk:Quadell) (User:Quadell/Request for assistance)} 20:14, Oct 15, 2004 (UTC) == Confusion over di / 3 / tetra, and "we now make" == The first paragraph of "History" doesn't make sense, and I don't have the chemical knowledge to fix it. This section is very unclear, and doesn't even make grammatical sense: : He boiled anhydrous morphine alkaloid with acetic anhydride over a stove for several hours and produced a compound that he called ''tetra acetyl morphine'' (morphine with 3 acetyl groups, a different, weaker form of acetylated morphine.) we now make ''diacetylmorphine'', a more potent form of acetylated morphine. The compound was sent to F.M. Pierce of Owens College, Manchester, for analysis. He reported the following to Wright. Even given the factor of two that can be off in acetyl prefixes (eg tetraacetyl- could be the same thing as diacetyl-), where does the 3 come in? And the "we now make" sounds completely wrong. --User:AlexChurchill 18:01, Nov 11, 2004 (UTC) CRA Wright called it 'tetra-acetylmorphine', but it was a mistake. User:Axl 14:57, 15 Nov 2004 (UTC) == Legal matters == ''Heroin is a controlled substance'' Legal matters tend to be local to jurisdictions. I'd think that heroin is a controlled substance in all jurisdictions, but I am not sure of it. User:David.Monniaux 10:34, 5 Mar 2005 (UTC) == Cultural References == I removed some of the songs from the list, until somebody can give explanations as to why they should be included: * "Space Oddity" and "China Girl" by David Bowie (seems to me like the first one is about some astronaut experiencing a problem with his spaceship, is there some hidden meaning?) * "Master of Puppets" by MetallicaUser:David.Monniaux 10:45, 5 Mar 2005 (UTC) ==="Comfortably Numb" by Pink Floyd=== Adding and removing. Removing and adding... Is it about heroin? Lyrics suggest so, movie makes it even clearer. Do we agree? --User:Zealander 19:18, 19 May 2005 (UTC) === NIN - Hurt? === In regards to the Nine Inch Nails song "Hurt" in the list of "Heroin inspired artistic works", is there any evidence to suggest the song has anything to do with heroin? I'm a fairly large fan of the band and have never heard H come up at all. Is there any evidence to prove me wrong? Cheers User:MrHate 06:53, Sep 22, 2004 (UTC) I guess not, I'll remove it User:MrHate ''The needle tears a hole / The old familiar sting'' is almost certainly a reference to heroin. It implies habitual intravenous drug use, and the remainder of the song suggests that the substance of choice in this case is heroin. --User:Dachannien 00:58, 11 Dec 2004 (UTC) === Happiness is a warm gun === Tells about making love, not shooting heroin. --User:Tmh 23:16, 25 Oct 2004 (UTC) :I figured "I need a fix..." was straight forward and guessed "Mother Superior" was some slang for one's dealer of smack or other substance (see Trainspotting). I coupled this with the common knowledge that John Lennon used H and concluded that it was the topic of the song. But I suppose the same argument of content ambiguity can be applied to most of the song list. More opinions would be welcome. --User:Freakofnurture 10:58, Feb 17, 2005 (UTC) === David Bowie === I don't see what "Space Oddity" or "China Girl" have to do with heroin, even if China Girl is a name for heroin. not familiar with other song User:67.124.101.93 03:12, 11 Dec 2004 (UTC) :* In my opinion, "China Girl" is fairly obviously about heroin. ("China White" is a street nickname for heroin.) Lyrics: ''I�m a mess without my, little china girl / Wake up mornings, where�s my little china girl''. :* As for "Space Oddity", I am as confused as you. There has been some idle speculation that the spaceship journey might be symbolic of a drug trip, but that seems a big stretch to me. -- User:FirstPrinciples 12:09, Mar 5, 2005 (UTC) ::* The ''album'' "Space Oddity" was influenced by (and contains references to) Bowie's heroin use. However, the ''individual song'' "Space Oddity" doesn't really make any references. -- User:FirstPrinciples 12:20, Mar 5, 2005 (UTC) ::* You people are all retarded. "Space Oddity" and "Ashes to Ashes" have everything to do with drug use you idiots. jees.-- User:FirstPrinciples === Metallica === :* Similarly, "Master of Puppets"" is also obviously about drugs (specifically cocaine and heroin). I believe the band have even explicitly stated this. The users are the "puppets"; the drugs are the "master", ''twisting your mind and smashing your dreams''. ::* Re: "Master of Puppets" -- Add'l lyrical hints: "Veins that pump with fear," "Needlework," "Ritual misery/chop your breakfast on a mirror/Taste me you will see/more is all you need"... Maybe not necessarily describing heroin, but obviously some drug. Perhaps cocaine, as many do inject it rather than snorting. The song ''clearly'' does not describe Punch and Judy.--User:Freakofnurture 10:45, Mar 13, 2005 (UTC) :::Mmmh. About Master of Puppets, I must admit that, once I read the lyrics again, I now think it discusses drugs. I used to think it was about some kind of leader that manipulates people and sends them into some war (as in the Assassin sect etc.). User:David.Monniaux 12:46, 5 Mar 2005 (UTC) ::::I removed Master of Puppets from the list, it implies use of cocaine from the line "Chop your breakfast on a mirror".--User:Anonymous 10:54, Mar 22, 2005 (UTC) :::::And I restored it again because it also refers to heroin, as discussed above. -- User:FirstPrinciples 22:56, Mar 22, 2005 (UTC) ===The Salton Sea=== It's been awhile since I've seen this film, but wasn't it primarily about amphetamines? == Erowid pictures == once again i implore that pictures be placed in this article. Content is very important, but a drug article without multiple visual examples of said drug is not a drug article. I have e-mailed erowid with no reply yet (only a week ago or so) asking for permission to use their images on wikipedia. I hope we can eventually do so, as it will create higher quality, more aesthetically pleasing articles. User:Lockeownzj00 18:39, 5 Mar 2005 (UTC) Feel free to use these public domain images, if desired:

-- User:FirstPrinciples 03:11, Mar 6, 2005 (UTC) :There are excellent images on the Drug Enforcement Administration web site. User:David.Monniaux 08:45, 6 Mar 2005 (UTC) == Modus operandi == When discussing heroin addiction, there are frequent references to the practice of preparing the drug in a spoon over a lighter. Maybe this should be discussed. User:David.Monniaux 08:25, 6 Mar 2005 (UTC) ==Duplication in page== ~~I intend to take care of the duplication in the page's contents or revert it to an unduplicated edition.~~ Well done. User:Sandbody 2230, 27 Mar 05 ==Dangers and legality== I reverted the insertion of this paragraph from the text: :(It should be noted that Diacetylmorphine HCl (Heroin) in it's pure form is a very safe drug. Constipation is Heroin's only known side-effect. All the risks mentioned above are a product of Heroin's legal status.) I though this was blatant POV. Nonetheless, I'm sympathetic to the overall point of view, and I'd welcome a suitably NPOV edit that clarifies the role of heroin's legal status in the dangers associated with it. User:Ciphergoth 12:33, 2005 Mar 29 (UTC) :Are you referring to the idea that heroin's side effects come principally from its adulterants? That adulterants are added to heroin because of the illegalization of heroin and that, thus, the illegalization of heroin is responsible for its side effects? Or do you mean that illegalization literally causes these side effects? I'm an ED tech, and I think I speak from experience when I say that the adverse effects of narcotic analgesics are similar regardless of their purity; seizures occur in completely pure meperidine administration, completely pure morphine sulfate administration, and also in heroin use/abuse (I don't consider self-medication abuse, but some people do since it's illegal). Regardless of my own personal feelings about the illegalization of drugs - which is to say, that it causes more problems than it solves - narcotics' side effects present with administration across the class. We expect respiratory depression and arrest with heroin use as much as with meperidine; we expect nausea and vomiting with heroin use as much as with morphine sulfate. I also disagree that heroin is a "safe" drug - not because "it kills" or "OMG cuz yuo cna get addcted!!!1!" but because its rapid onset and short duration make withdrawal dangerous for the user and those around them; and because its adverse effects are intense esp. with the inexact doses self-administered by heroin users. Just because it has some cachet in the community doesn't make it ''safe'': hell, if I had my way, meperidine (Demerol) would be completely banned, forever, except in cases of trauma to the abdominal viscera. This isn't because I think "drugs r bad SXE," but because meperidine requires huge and inexact dosages and because people go bugfuck if they can't get some after they've had a bit of it. Wishful thinking won't take away the adverse effects of this group of medications as a whole; I wonder what sort of NPOV addition regarding the "legislative causes of heroin side effects" you would like to see. User:Sandbody 16:32, 30 Mar 2005 (UTC) :To look at it again, I realize that the end question of my message seems a little bit more rhetorical and less like an actual question, which it was. I'm not trying to chap you here - I really do wonder what you're getting at.User:Sandbody 07:32, 31 Mar 2005 (UTC) :: That sounds a lot more plausible than the idea that all problems associated with heroin would disappear if it were made legal. But it sounds like you agree with me that its legal status causes more problems than it solves, and the article should make it clear that many problems that heroin users experience (such as adulterants) stem from its legal status. For the record, I consider heroin use, even as a one-off, to be incredibly inadvisable. User:Ciphergoth 10:07, 2005 Apr 1 (UTC) ==Price and dosage== It would be nice to have a couple of paragraph in the article that name typical doses used by addicts, lethal dose, and average market prices in civilized countries like United States. --User:Itinerant1 06:07, 28 Apr 2005 (UTC)

Heroin

my name is heroin, and i like to eat cheerios and stare at the tube. i once made a cameo appearance in Darren Aronofsky's "Requiem for a Dream." you may have seen it. i was the gangrene that chewed off his arm.

See other meanings of words starting from letter:

H

HA | HB | HC | HD | HE | HF | HG | HI | HJ | HK | HL | HM | HN | HO | HP | HR | HS | HT | HU | HW | HX | HY | HZ |

Words begining with Heroin:

Heroin
Heroin
Heroin
Heroine
Heroines_in_literature
Heroines_in_literature
Heroinmyheroine
Heroin_addiction
Heroin_Bob

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