Health Report on Heroin

1. By: Lauren Schwartzbard
M1 Q1 Mr. Shannon
Oct. 23, 2012

2. What is Heroin?

 Heroin is an opiate drug, synthesized from morphine. It
usually appears as a white or brown powder and
sometimes as a black or dark brown sticky substance.
 It is highly addictive and the more a person injects/snorts
heroin the more their body becomes dependent on it.
 After one uses heroin, they experience a feeling of ecstasy.
However the ecstasy is short and after it comes painful
symptoms. Headaches, stomachaches, and the like.

3. What does it look like?

The above picture shows heroin in a spoon as well as a
needle to inject it into someone's arm.

4. What does it look like?

Heroin in powder form, white and brown.

5. Effects of Heroin

Injecting/Snorting/Smoking
Stomach problems, mental malfunctions, miscarriages, and
other issues .
Addiction, bacterial infections, heart/heart valve infections,
collapsed veins, liver/kidney dieses, lung complications and
even death.

6. Short Term Effects
The image shown does not
show any time factors.
However the effects will get
stronger as one continues
with the drug.

7. Long Term Effects
The picture shown on this slide
shows the nasty effects of
sticking with heroin.
Something to make a note of is
that all of the things labeled
can, and probably will in some
cases cause death.

8. Before and After
Pictures

These are pictures of young women who got addicted to heroin.

9. Heroin Percentage of the
Drug Report in 2004

Heroin Percentage of Drug Report
50 45.2
40 30.3
30 26.1
20 24
10
0
Percentage of All Drugs
Reported that were
Heroin

10. Reports of Heroin Use in 2004

Heroin Reports
10,000 6,574
1,764
1,935
0 1,486
Heroin Reports

11. Drug Reports from 2004

7,000 6,574
Percentage of All Drugs 6,000 Reports of Heroin
Reported that were Heroin 5,000
45.2 4,000
50
40 30.3 3,000
30 26.1 24 1,764 1,935 1,486
20 2,000
10 Percentage of 1,000 Reports:
0 All Drugs
2004
0
Reported that
were Heroin

12. Colleen is the mother of a
seventeen year-old drug addict

At night she sleeps with her few remaining valuables.
Her cash, credit card, and car keys. She wears the one
bracelet she still owns constantly. Her son has stolen her
heirlooms, jewelry, anything of value so he could buy
heroin.
She does not know what to do about her son. No matter
what she does, “ she sees the evidence on his arms and in
his eyes.” “ „I wish my son would just die already‟
Colleen said, „so I could get this over with.‟ “

13. “ ‘I wish my son would just die already’ Colleen said, ‘so I could get this
over with.’ “

Her son tasted his first opiate from the medicine
cabinet, but he quickly turned to heroin.
With Facebook and text messaging he always has a steady
supply of drugs.
Colleen is ready to give up.
Story taken from the Star Ledger, written by Dan Goldberg and James Queally on October 7, 2012

14. Cures and
Solutions

One popular cure for heroin addicts is the
‘methadone way’. Methadone is a legal drug
that is not intoxicating or sedating. It is used to
quench heroin cravings. However while it stops
heroin addicts from being addicted to heroin it
makes them addicted to methadone.
Another curing drug is buprenorphine. It blocks
the effects of heroin and morphine.
Some other drugs that are ‘curing drugs’ are
naloxone and naltrexone, they are used to help

15. Cures and Solutions

Most heroin addicts go to a rehabilitation
center or a hospital to be treated by a
physician so they can avoid withdrawal
symptoms in detoxification treatment. Many
last at least three to four months.
Some treatments combine methadone or
buprenorphine with psychotherapy. Often
with behavioral therapists.

16. Heroin Treatments in New
Jersey Ages 18-25

Treatments in New Jersey Suburbs
6,549
6,084
5,772
5,193
4,712 4,455
2000 2002 2006 2009 2010 2011

17. Bibliography

 Goldberg, Dan, and James Queally. “The Heroin Boom.” The Star
Ledger (Newark) 7 Oct. 2012:
n. pag. Print.
 "heroin." Health Reference Center. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 9 Oct. 2012.
<http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE48&SID=5&i
Pin=EDRAB0094&SingleRecord=True>.

19. Unless we do something about it.