Heroin Addiction
December 1, 2007
Heroin or diacetylmorphine (INN) is a semi-synthetic opioid. It is the 3,6-diacetyl derivative of morphine (hence diacetylmorphine) and is synthesised from it by acetylation.
Heroin or diacetylmorphine (INN) is a semi-synthetic opioid. It is the 3,6-diacetyl derivative of morphine (hence diacetylmorphine) and is synthesised from it by acetylation. The white crystalline form is commonly the hydrochloride salt, diacetylmorphine hydrochloride. It has a high drug addiction potential, and frequent repeated ingestion causes a fast development of tolerance to it when compared to other substances, although occasional use without symptoms of withdrawal is also possible. Internationally, Heroin is controlled under Schedules I and IV of the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs . It is illegal to manufacture, possess, or sell heroin in the United States but, under the name diamorphine, heroin is a legal prescription drug in the United Kingdom.
Popular street names for heroin include dope, diesel, smack, skag, heron, black tar, horse, junk, jenny, brown, brown sugar, dark and H.
Cocaine Addiction Treatment
November 30, 2007
What is Cocaine?
Cocaine is a powerfully addictive stimulant that directly affects the brain. Cocaine was been labeled the drug of the 1980s and ’90s, because of its extensive popularity and use during this period. However, it is not a new drug. In fact, it is one of the oldest known drugs. The pure chemical, cocaine hydrochloride, has been an abused substance for more than 100 years, and coca leaves, the source, have been ingested for thousands of years.
Pure cocaine was first extracted from the leaf of the Erythroxylon coca bush, which grows primarily in Peru and Bolivia, in the mid-19th century. In the early 1900s, it became the main stimulant drug used in most of the tonics/elixirs that were developed to treat a wide variety of illnesses. Today, it is a Schedule II drug, meaning that it has high potential for abuse, but can be administered by a doctor for legitimate medical uses, such as a local anesthetic for some eye, ear, and throat surgeries.
There are basically two chemical forms of cocaine: the hydrochloride salt and the “freebase.” The hydrochloride salt, or powdered form of cocaine, dissolves in water and, when abused, can be taken intravenously (by vein) or intranasally (in the nose). Freebase refers to a compound that has not been neutralized by an acid to make the hydrochloride salt. The freebase form of cocaine is smokable.
Cocaine Facts
November 30, 2007
Cocaine is a central nervous system stimulant that conflicts with reabsorption of dopamine, a chemical associated with pleasure and movement. The buildup of dopamine causes stimulation of “receiving” neurons, which is associated with the euphoria reported by cocaine abusers.
Physical effects of cocaine use include constricted blood vessels alopng with increased temperature, heart rate, and blood pressure. The duration of cocaine’s immediate euphoric effects, which include hyperstimulation and mental clarity, depends on how it’s administered. The faster the absorption, the more intense the high. But the faster the absorption, the shorter the duration of action. The high from snorting may last 15 to 30 minutes, while the high from smoking may last 5 to 10 minutes. Increasing the amount can reduce the period of time a user feels high and increases the risk of addiction.
Some users of cocaine report feelings of restlessness, irritability, and anxiety. A tolerance to the “high” may develop—many addicts report that they seek but fail to achieve as much pleasure as they did from their first exposure.
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