Heroin (INN: diacetylmorphine, BAN: diamorphine) is a semi-synthetic opioid synthesized from morphine, a derivative of the opium poppy. It is the 3, 6-diacetyl ester of morphine (hence diacetylmorphine) and is processed by acetylation, making it a prodrug for the systemic delivery of morphine. The white crystalline form is commonly the hydrochloride salt diacetylmorphine hydrochloride. Upon crossing the blood-brain barrier, which occurs soon after introduction of the drug into the bloodstream, heroin is converted into monoacetylmorphine and morphine, the compounds that mimic the action of endorphins, creating a sense of extreme well-being with the feeling centered in the gut. One of the most common methods of heroin use is via intravenous injection also known as “slamming”.
As with other opiates, heroin is used both as a pain-killer and a recreational drug. Frequent administration has a high potential for causing addiction and may quickly lead to tolerance; however, occasional use does not lead to symptoms of withdrawal. If a continual, sustained use of heroin for as little as three days is stopped abruptly, withdrawal symptoms can appear. This is much shorter than the withdrawal effects experienced from other common painkillers such as oxycodone and hydrocodone.
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 and the UK. However, under the name diamorphine, heroin is a legal prescription drug in the United Kingdom. Popular street names for heroin include black tar, junk, skag, horse, Brain, Hairy Larry, and others. These words are specific references to heroin and only heroin. Dope is commonly used to refer to heroin, but may indicate other drugs as well, from laudanum a century ago to nearly any contemporary illegal recreational drug
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