Physical Damage to Health
The opiate receptors are found in many of the organs of the human body. As these not only bind the opiates but the body's own endorphins it explains the physical damages caused by flooding the body with opiates such as heroin.
Paralysis of the Respiratory Centre
Through paralysis of the respiratory centre heroin can cause death due to suffocation and this is then referred to as an overdose. It is difficult to calculate just how high this overdose level is in any individual case. As the dose that can cause a depression of respiration is only minimally higher than the dose which gives the sought after, hit' effect, such cases of overdose occur frequently. Some of these with a fatal outcome. The consumption of heroin is, therefore, responsible for most of the deaths caused by the misuse of drugs in Switzerland.
Reduced sensitivity to pain
The body's sensitivity to pain is suppressed. In the case of morphine this analgesic effect is made use of to alleviate severe pain after operations or, for example, after a myocardial infarction. This insensitivity to pain causes the body's natural warning system to be suppressed and the heroin addicts may burn themselves on cigarettes for instance without being aware of it. Suppurating infections such as the root of a tooth, for example, many also go unnoticed for too long. The body's sensitivity to the cold is also disturbed.
Depressed appetite and loss of weight
Heroin leads to a lack of appetite and results in severe weight loss and symptoms of nutritional deficiency.
Damage to the lungs
The lungs become badly aerated and water collects in the tissues of the lung (water lung). The function is thus impaired and the intake of oxygen is considerably reduced. This means that even in the absence of an overdose death can occur.
Night Blindness
There is severe constriction of the pupils, which strongly impairs the eyesight in the dark. This can lead to accidents in traffic.
Chronic Constipation
Chronic constipation is caused through the direct effect of the drug on the bowel.
Weakening of the Immune System
Due to the direct effect of heroin on the immune system the body's resistance to illness is weakened.
Pregnancy and Birth
Premature births often occur in pregnant women using heroin. Because the new-born child comes into the world dependent on heroin the first thing it must face is an extremely painful and life threatening withdrawal process. In addition to which a mother who is addicted to narcotic drugs is not in a fit condition to give the child the necessary care and attention.
Danger to Traffic
The ability to react in traffic can be reduced to such an extent that a state of being totally unfit to drive arises; the addict is a danger to others and to himself. All these damaging effects result from the heroin itself regardless of the purity of the drug and whether it is obtained legally or illegally. Even when heroin is given under medical supervision these damages to health cannot be prevented.
Psychological Effects
The regular use of heroin rapidly leads to heavy physical and psychological dependence upon the drug. Heroin addicts are no longer interested in their surroundings, nor in their family or in their friends. Their thoughts are entirely centred round the use of the drug. Heroin addicts lose their sense of responsibility both towards themselves and towards others and often they are no longer able to meet the demands made on them in their business life or at school. They withdraw into themselves and restrict themselves more and more to superficial contacts in venues frequented by other drug users. This results in breaking off their education and vocational training, loss of job, loss of the ability to carry out the profession for which they were trained and finally a complete inability to work.
The natural inhibition threshold is rapidly broken down. Relatives and acquaintances will be lied to and stolen from. Due to this breakdown of their inhibitions they are able to resort to criminal acts and prostitution in order to obtain money for drugs. In this way heroin destroys the personality of the addict. It is referred to as a breakdown of the personality.
The heroin addict increasingly considers his life to be without a purpose. The longer the drug is used the more difficult it becomes to give it up. The death rate and the suicide rate are considerably higher than in non-addictive persons of the same age. Even if with professional treatment as well as the help of relatives, friends and acquaintances the addict eventually manages to give up the drug, the longer it has been used the greater is the danger that it will cause lasting physical and psychological damage. In any case they have wasted many valuable years of their lives through the use of the drug.
Narcotics - including those prescribed by a doctor - are a chemical straight jacket from which, the addict cannot break free by himself.
Is there A Phase of Addiction?
Heroin cause heavy dependence on the drug. It cannot be said in advance how long this will take in each individual case. The breakdown of the personality is more severe the longer the drug is used.
There is no 'phase of addiction' which will somehow come to an end without treatment. A heroin addict will only give up the drug when he is induced to do so either through strain of deep inner suffering or as a result of various outside influences. The clear opposition to drugs by society forms the basis for such positive influences. When we consider that just one single dose of heroin or cocaine can be fatal, it is not only playing down the dangers to speak of a 'limited phase of addiction', it is irresponsible.
Prescribing Heroin
It is claimed that by prescribing heroin at least the worst damages to health and the effect on social behaviour could be prevented. But with each drug prescribed the addictive illness is more likely to become firmly established and prolonged. It would mean that addicts hardly have cause to give up their use of drug. Doctors who prescribe drugs will be looked upon principally as drug suppliers and no longer as someone who has a serious interest in helping users to fight their addiction.
Polytoxicomania (the dependence on various drugs at the same time) increases through the prescribing of narcotics. The addict will consider these drugs given by the state or the doctor as an additional source for his needs.
For medical purposes, to combat pain for example, there are better medicaments than heroin. An excellent range of synthetic analgesics is available to the doctor, which is why heroin is not used as medication.
Narcotics - including those prescribed by a doctor - are a chemical straight jacket from which the addict cannot break free by himself. Through the use of heroin they will become increasingly weakened both physically and psychologically. Furthermore, it remains impossible for them to carry a responsible job, to contribute to the common good or to cultivate friendships.
It has been shown through very costly experiments on heroin that a large proportion of the test subjects additionally took other narcotics and drugs. Only 5% decided to begin a course of therapy orientated towards abstinence.
As a rule as long as the use of heroin continues attempts to become reintegrated into society fail. Such drug addicts must be supported financially by social services, sickness benefit schemes and invalid insurance for the rest of their lives.
Genuine feeling for one's fellow men helps the addict to withdraw and to give up the habit so that they can reform their personality and learn to live a meaningful life among friends in freedom.
The prescribing of heroin does not lead to an actual lessening of the damage but creates additional problems and increases the harm already caused through the addiction to heroin.
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