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Definition: heroin from Philip's Encyclopedia

Drug derived from morphine. It produces similar effects to morphine, but acts more quickly and is effective in smaller doses. It is prescribed to relieve pain in terminal illness and severe injuries. Widely used illegally, it is more addictive than morphine. See also drug addiction

heroin

From The Columbia Encyclopedia
(hĕ'rӘwӘn), opiate drug synthesized from morphine (see narcotic ). Originally produced in 1874, it was thought to be not only nonaddictive but useful as a cure for respiratory illness and morphine addiction, and capable of relieving morphine withdrawal symptoms. Later it was discovered to have the same pharmacologic effects as morphine and to be just as addictive. In many parts of the world, it is used as an analgesic (for relief of pain), particularly for the terminally ill. Although in the United States the manufacture and importation of the drug are prohibited and it is not used medically, heroin predominates in illicit narcotics traffic because it provides more potency for less bulk than morphine and is thus easier to smuggle. See also drug addiction and drug abuse . Heroin is a central nervous system depressant that relieves pain and induces sleep. It produces a dreamlike state of warmth and well-being. It may also cause constricted pupils, nausea, and respiratory depression, …
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Full text Article Heroin

From World of Criminal Justice, Gale
Woman shooting drugs (heroin) into man’s wrist,...
Known by such street names as smack, junk and dope, heroin is perhaps the most notorious illegal drug in existence. Widely prescribed as a legal medical remedy from the early 1900s until World War I, heroin today is illegal in most of the world. A derivative of the pain-killer morphine, it gives…
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The most heavily used illegal narcotic in America is heroin. Recently two factors have caused an increase in heroin use: the greater availability of extremely pure heroin, which can be smoked, and an increase in the use of heroin by individuals of middle- and upper-class socioeconomic status (Meyer, …
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Full text Article Heroin

From Encyclopedia of Women's Health
Revered by Sumerians, Egyptians, Greeks, and other ancient civilizations for its ability to ease pain, the opium poppy has yielded a number of chemical compounds that have revolutionized the control of pain as well as contributed to problems of addiction in modern societies. Morphine, one of the…
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Full text Article heroin

From The Encyclopedia of Addictions and Addictive Behaviors
An illegal and heavily addictive drug that is derived from opium poppies. Heroin is also known as "Big H," "Horse," "Smack," and many other nicknames. It is extremely important to know that heroin, as well as other street drugs such as cocaine, is often adulterated with toxic substances. According…
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Full text Article heroin

From The Columbia Encyclopedia
(hĕ'rӘwӘn), opiate drug synthesized from morphine (see narcotic ). Originally produced in 1874, it was thought to be not only nonaddictive but useful as a cure for respiratory illness and morphine addiction, and capable of relieving morphine withdrawal symptoms. Later it was discovered to have the…
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Full text Article heroin

From The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia with Atlas and Weather Guide
Powerful opiate analgesic, an acetyl derivative of morphine . It is more addictive than morphine but causes less nausea. Heroin has an important place in the medicinal control of severe pain in terminal illness, severe injuries, and heart attacks, but is also widely used illegally for recreational…
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Full text Article HEROIN

From The Encyclopedia of Conspiracies and Conspiracy Theories
Heroin is a drug processed from morphine, a derivative of the opium poppy (Papaver somniferum) which was discovered in 1854. Morphine was widely used as a painkiller during the U.S. Civil War, though its addictive quality was not widely recognized until the postwar years. Heroin was developed in…
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Full text Article Heroin

From Black's Medical Dictionary, 43rd Edition
Also known as diacetyl morphine or diamorphine, this Class A controlled drug is an opiate – a group which includes morphine, codeine, pethidine and methadone. It is a powerful analgesic and cough suppressant, but its capacity to produce euphoria rapidly induces dependence. The need to inject the…
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Full text Article Heroin Abuse

From Gale Encyclopedia of Nursing and Allied Health
An addict injecting heroin dose to his hand with...
Heroin abuse refers to the recreational use of and dependency on heroin, an opiate derived from morphine that is illegal to manufacture, possess, or use in the United States. The preferred international generic name for heroin is diamorphine; other chemical names include diacetylmorphine, acetylated…
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Jodie Kidd brought the “heroin chic” look to the...
The aesthetic of “heroin chic” was related to anti-glamour posturing, and was as much a fashion media construct as it was a bona fide style. It emerged from a number of sources including punk, the grunge aesthetic, and the presence of HIV. Named for its evocation of the worn-out look of drug culture…
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