Heroin and Opiate Pain Medications that Target Opioid Receptors in the Brain

The drugs heroin and opiate pain medication are a pair of sedative analgesics that target opioid receptors in the brain. The drugs relieve internal and external pain and give the individual abusing the drug an implausible sense of euphoria. Painkillers and heroin deliver substantial emotional state of security and false contentment. Consequently, the mind will remain craving the sensation over and over again, leading to a fully developed addiction.

When the painkillers got to expensive and individuals could no longer get their medication from doctors or the streets, they start to suffer withdrawal symptoms including but not limited to vomiting, tremors, anxiety, restlessness, and fatigue. With the crackdown on prescription pain medication, addicts had no choice but to use heroin to relieve withdrawal symptoms.

A report on drug abuse stated, heroin abuse has ranked highest in hospitalizations and over dose deaths in the past few years.

Now more powerful than ever, deaths from heroin have risen 120 percent from 15 in 2011 to 33 in 2012. Heroin abuse has reached an epidemic in Miami, Florida, reported the National Institute on Drug abuse.

An epidemiologist, James N. Hall stated “We’re talking here about the mother of addictions.” Hall then added, “the crossover from the prescription products to illicit heroin complicates that and will fuel the continued epidemic.”

Medical professionals reported, the up-to-date spike in heroin abuse and fatality is among a younger crowd, ages ranging 18 to 29, who abuse the drug replacing prescription painkillers.

Concerning research shows increased use of injection by heroin abusers.  Hall reported, 55 percent of suffering individuals pursuing treatment in southern Florida for abuse of prescription painkillers said injection was “preferred route of administration”.

Consequently, “a public health threat of increased HIV and Hepatitis C transmission is already occurring,” according to a workgroup report.

Advancing levels of heroin addiction top, the drug abuse cited by researchers across the country, including Washington, Detroit, Philadelphia, Texas, Chicago, Baltimore, Seattle, San Diego, Atlanta Boston, Texas, New York, and St. Louis.

Epidemiology specialist Carol Falkowski reported, “Heroin is more affordable than painkillers, produces the same effect and is sometimes just as available if not more available,” then added, “The growing presence of heroin in the U.S. now is akin to what the spread of cocaine was in the country in the 1980s.”

Hall said, “I think it’s accurate to say that there are new heroin epidemics breaking out all over the U.S.”

The National Institute on Drug Abuse has not released the most recent heroin discoveries, but Hall reports, individuals mindful of the up-to-date findings about heroin’s rise have an unchanging response.

“The reaction is, ‘Holy mackerel, this is really getting out of hand,’” stated Hall. “In Florida, we had a full force effort at cutting the supply (of painkiller pills) without ever addressing the demand, which was a fatal mistake.”