Changes

'''Heroin''' is an illegal [[narcotic]] drug, manufactured from the opium [[poppy]], and has been cultivated for its properties since at least 3400BC (in [[Mesopotamia]]).

'''Heroin''' (diacetylmorphine) is a [[narcotic]] drug, manufactured from the opium [[poppy]]. Aside from the addition of two acetyl groups, it is identical to morphine. The addition allows the drug to cross the blood-brain barrier more quickly than morphine, making it about 3 times as potent.  

Heroin was briefly commercially marketed as a cough medicine for children, and as substitute for medicinal [[morphine]], having been erroneously believed to be less addictive.

Heroin was briefly commercially marketed as a cough medicine for children, and as substitute for medicinal [[morphine]], having been erroneously believed to be non-addictive.

Apart from medicinal use under strict control, heroin is illegal nearly worldwide, with harsh penalties for its possession, manufacture and trafficking, including the [[death penalty]] in many countries.

Apart from medicinal use under strict control, heroin is illegal nearly worldwide, with harsh penalties for its possession, manufacture and trafficking, including the [[death penalty]] in many countries. The reasons for this are mostly political, as there are numerous prescription narcotics which are just as or are many times more potent than the heroin (e.g. Fentenyl, Oxymorphone).  

Illegal use of heroin typically is typically conducted through injection (sometimes mixed with [[cocaine]] - 'speedball'), snorting, or smoking/inhalation - 'chasing the dragon'. Large doses of heroin can be fatal, and the drug has often been used as a [[murder]] weapon.

Illegal use of heroin is typically conducted via syringe, insufflation, or smoking. Overdoses are fairly common as street purity varies widely.

[[Category:Illegal substances]]

[[Category:Illegal substances]]

[[Category:Illegal Drugs]]

[[Category:Illegal Drugs]]