The Origins of Heroin and Its Impact Today
In the 1990s, the rate of opioid prescription pain killers spiked, sending the United States down a path of addiction and overdoses. In 2016, 64,000 people died from overdoses, and in 2017, an opioid epidemic was declared. With government regulations and crackdowns on these prescription drugs, the rate of deaths has slightly dropped. In 2019, approximately 50,000 people died of overdoses. Four to five percent of individuals who misuse prescription painkillers eventually become addicted to heroin. In addition, eighty percent of heroin users first misused prescription opiates. Heroin is a highly potent opioid that is two to three times more powerful than morphine. I want to talk about the history of this illicit drug and its relevance today.
Heroin is an opioid that originates from the opium poppy seed. “Opium, from poppy seeds, contains several opioid compounds, including morphine and codeine. Morphine is extracted from opium using diluted acid. '' In 1874, English chemist Charles Romley Alder Wright discovered that combining Morphine with a certain variety of acids would produce a compound much stronger than the original drug, called diacetylmorphine, known more commonly as heroin. The pharmaceutical company Bayer Co. (the same company that invented Aspirin) picked up the drug in 1898, marketing it as a non-addictive solution to everything from a simple cold to pains that could be given to adults as well as children. Later during World War I, department stores in England such as Harrods, encouraged families and loved ones to purchase Heroin kits. These kits contained syringes and samples of heroin to send to soldiers on the front lines, with the intent of helping them cope with the war. After the addiction to heroin became rampant in the UK and US, both countries made the drug illegal in 1924.
While the government has worked to address the epidemic in recent years, resulting in a slight downward trend in the misuse of these illicit drugs, the numbers are still staggeringly high. More stringent regulations have decreased the availability of prescription painkillers. However, it has resulted in an increase in heroin use. When interviewing an unnamed addict in recovery, they explained that heroin is often more available and a cheaper habit to maintain. This is corroborated by the information from the National Institute of Drug Addiction which states, “a number of studies have suggested that people transitioning from abuse of prescription opioids to heroin cite that heroin is cheaper, more available, and provides a better high.”
The isolation and social and economic stresses caused by the COVID-19 Pandemic have now exacerbated an already dire situation. The CDC reports, “Over 81,000 drug overdose deaths occurred in the United States in the 12 months ending in May 2020, the highest number of overdose deaths ever recorded in a 12-month period.” This record number proves that the opioid epidemic is still a serious issue decades later. Doctors and legislators need to reevaluate their approach to the treatment of addiction. Prescription drugs are clearly correlated to heroin usage, and now synthetic opioids like fentanyl are on the rise as well, a drug that can be cut with heroin stretching the heroin a lot further. It appears the United States should learn that new approaches to tackling this crisis should be administered. We need to look to medical professionals, mental health experts, and countries that have successful drug policies to ensure that we can stop the heroin epidemic.
Bibliography
Bonnet, Philippe. “Cocaine for soldiers & opiates for teething babies: exploring the history of drug use.”. BBC.co.uk. March 9, 2018.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcthree/article/966b1bdd-69ff-4de0-9c39-d9276eba706b
“Heroin use is driven by its low cost and high availability.” National Institute of Drug Addiction
“Opioid Overdose Crisis.” National Institute of Drug Addiction.
https://www.drugabuse.gov/drug-topics/opioids/opioid-overdose-crisis
“Overdose Deaths Accelerating During COVID-19.” Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2020/p1218-overdose-deaths-covid-19.html
Pickering, Anna. “Heroin Facts and History?” The Recovery Village. November 06, 2020. https://www.therecoveryvillage.com/heroin-addiction/heroin-facts-history/
Images
Edwards, Jim. “Yes, Bayer Promoted Heroin for Children -- Here Are The Ads That Prove It.” Business Insider. November 17, 2011.
Pickering, Anna. “Heroin Facts and History?” The Recovery Village. November 06, 2020.
https://www.therecoveryvillage.com/heroin-addiction/heroin-facts-history/
Bonnet, Philippe. “Cocaine for soldiers & opiates for teething babies: exploring the history of drug use.”. BBC.co.uk. March 9, 2018.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcthree/article/966b1bdd-69ff-4de0-9c39-d9276eba706b
