Sociology

The use of drugs such as meth and heroin is often defended to be a victimless crime. It falls in this category because, though the user may harm himselfherself, there is no force involved against anyone else (U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration 2010). The users are the only ones hurt therefore they have the right to use drugs. Other advocates of drug legalization maintain that crimes and violence would actually go down when the prohibition stops because it is the illegality of production, trafficking and use that stimulates crime and violence rather than the violent and irrational behavior that drugs themselves prompt. But the problem with this logic is that it does not take into consideration the strong correlation between the use of drugs and criminal activities. Crimes are committed because people are on drugs. The controversy surrounding the issue is an ample reason to study these substances, specifically, meth and heroin. This paper is an attempt to shed some light on their origin, contents, popularity and effects.

Meth
Methamphetamines are stimulants which affect the central nervous system with similar structure with amphetamines (National Institute on Drug Abuse 2010). It is white, odorless bitter-tasting crystalline powder that easily dissolves in water or alcohol and is taken orally, intranasally (snorting the powder), by needle injection, or by smoking.

Nagayoshi Nagai first synthesized meth from ephedrine in Japan in 1893 (Zasshi, 1893). In 1919, Akita Ogata first synthesized crystallized methamphetamine through  HYPERLINK httpen.wikipedia.orgwikiRedox o Redox reduction of  HYPERLINK httpen.wikipedia.orgwikiEphedrine o Ephedrine ephedrine using red  HYPERLINK httpen.wikipedia.orgwikiPhosphorus o Phosphorus phosphorus and  HYPERLINK httpen.wikipedia.orgwikiIodine o Iodine iodine. In 1943,  HYPERLINK httpen.wikipedia.orgwikiAbbott_Laboratories o Abbott Laboratories Abbott Laboratories requested approval from the  HYPERLINK httpen.wikipedia.orgwikiFood_and_Drug_Administration_28United_States29 o Food and Drug Administration (United States) U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of  HYPERLINK httpen.wikipedia.orgwikiNarcolepsy o Narcolepsy narcolepsy, mild  HYPERLINK httpen.wikipedia.orgwikiDepression_28mood29 o Depression (mood) depression,  HYPERLINK httpen.wikipedia.orgwikiPostencephalitic_parkinsonism o Postencephalitic parkinsonism postencephalitic parkinsonism, chronic  HYPERLINK httpen.wikipedia.orgwikiAlcoholism o Alcoholism alcoholism, cerebral  HYPERLINK httpen.wikipedia.orgwikiArteriosclerosis o Arteriosclerosis arteriosclerosis, and  HYPERLINK httpen.wikipedia.orgwikiRhinitis l Hay_fever o Rhinitis hay fever. Methamphetamine was approved for all of these indications in December, 1944. All of these indication approvals were eventually removed.

Components of meth are easy to find. Posted in the website of Meth Awareness and Prevention Project of South Dakota are some of these ingredients
Alcohol -Gasoline additivesRubbing AlcoholEther (starting fluid) Benzene Paint thinner Freon Acetone Chloroform Camp stove fuel Anhydrous ammoniaWhite gasolinePheynl-2-PropanePhenylacetonePhenylpropanolamineRock, table or Epsom saltRed Phosphorous Toluene (found in brake cleaner) Red Devil Lye Drain cleaner Muraitic acid Battery acid Lithium from batteries  Sodium metal Ephedrine Cold tablets Diet aids Iodine Bronchodialators Energy boosters Iodine crystals

Also the materials needed in the laboratory are relatively easy to find including tubing, unmarked Mason jars with tubes attached, stained coffee filters, 2-liter pop bottles, blenders, camera batteries, wooden matches, propane cylinders and hot plates.

Meth directly affects the brain (National Institute on Drug Abuse 2010). It increases the release and blocks the reuptake of the brain chemical (or neurotransmitter) dopamine, leading to high levels of the chemical in the brain. Dopamine is involved in reward, motivation, the experience of pleasure, and motor function. The high level of dopamine that the brain produces is the reason why the user feels an intense euphoria or rush. Meth abuse significantly changes how the brain functions over time. Studies have shown alterations in the activity of the dopamine system resulting to reduced motor skills and impaired verbal learning. Studies have also revealed severe structural and functional changes in areas of the brain associated with emotion and memory, which may account for many of the emotional and cognitive problems.

Even small amounts of meth can lead to increased wakefulness, increased physical activity, decreased appetite, increased respiration, rapid heart rate, irregular heartbeat, increased blood pressure, and hyperthermia. Long term effects may include weight loss, severe dental problems, anxiety, confusion, insomnia, mood disturbances, and violent behavior. Meth addicts can also display a number of psychotic features, including paranoia, visual and auditory hallucinations, and delusions (for example, the sensation of insects crawling under the skin). Transmission of HIV and hepatitis B and C is also possible. HIV and other infectious diseases can be spread through contaminated needles, syringes, and other injection equipment that is used by more than one person. Those who are already HIV positive can worsen the progression of the disease and its consequences. Studies of the HIV-positive meth abusers indicate that HIV causes greater neuronal injury and cognitive impairment for individuals in this group compared with HIV-positive people who do not use the drug.

The Future Monitoring Survey of 8th, 10th and 12th graders conducted in 2008 showed that the numbers of meth users have been declining but still at an alarming level.  Survey results show that 2.3 percent of 8th-graders, 2.4 percent of 10th-graders, and 2.8 percent of 12th-graders have used methamphetamine in their lifetime. In addition, 0.7 percent of 8th-graders, 0.7 percent of 10th-graders, and 0.6 percent of 12th-graders used meth over the past month. Past-year use of methamphetamine remained steady across all grades surveyed from 2007 to 2008. On the other hand, the National Survey on Drug Use and Health showed that the number of individuals aged 12 years or older reporting past-year meth use went down from 1.9 million in 2006 to 1.3 million in 2007. An estimated 529,000 or 0.2 percent of the American population were past-month users. Of the 157,000 people who used methamphetamine for the first time in 2007, the mean age at first use was 19.1 years, which is down from the mean age of 22.2 in 2006.

Heroin
Heroin, also known as diamorphine (BAN) or diacetylmorphine (INN) is a semi-synthetic opioid (National Institute on Drug Abuse 2010). It is synthesized from morphine which is derived from the opium poppy. It usually appears as a white or brown powder or as a black sticky substance. It can be injected, sniffed or smoked for rapid delivery of the drug to the brain. Either way, it will lead to addiction and other health problems.

The opium poppy was cultivated way back in 3400 B.C. in lower Mesopotamia but it was first synthesized by a British chemist working at St. Marys Hospital Medical School, C.R. Alder Wright in 1874 during experimentation with morphine and various acids (Health Care Prescription Drugs, Medication and Substance Abuse Website 2010). He boiled anhydrous morphine alkaloid with acetic anhydride over a stove for several hours and came up with the now called diacetylmorphine. But it was Felix Hoffman of Bayer in Elberfeld, Germany who created heroin for medical purposes, eleven days after inventing aspirin. Bayer was wary about the effects of the drug so it was registered heroin as a trademark. The name was derived from heroisch, German word for heroic, trademark appropriate as field studies reported that people felt heroic after taking the substance. From 1889 to 1910 it was marketed and sold as non-addictive substitute to morphine and cough medicine for children before its true effects were discovered.

The production of heroin is relatively simple compared with other drugs. First, crude opium is dissolved in water to isolate the morphine. The morphine is then reacted with lime fertilizer such that it precipitates out and is then reacted again with ammonia. The remains of the solution, about 10 percent of the original opium, are then mechanically filtered to yield a final product of morphine. The morphine is reacted with acetic anhydride  a chemical also used in the production of aspirin  in the complicated five-step process. The first step is to cook the morphine at 85C (185F) for six hours with an equivalent weight of acetic anhydride. Second, purify the product moderately with a treatment of water and hydrochloric acid. Third, add sodium carbonate to settle the particulates. Four, heat the heroin in a mixture of alcohol and activated charcoal until the alcohol evaporates. The fifth step is optional, as it only changes the heroin into a finer white powder that is more easily injectable. This last step is dangerous because as the heroin (after being dissolved in alcohol) precipitates out in tiny white flakes when a mixture of ether and hydrochloric acid is injected, the ether may explode.

Abuse of heroin has short term and long term effects. The heroin user may feel euphoric initially after injecting the substance (Drug Free Organization 2010). This rush is accompanied by a warm flushing of the skin, a constant feeling of thirst, and heavy extremities. After this initial euphoria, the user goes on an alternately wakeful and drowsy state. Mental functioning becomes clouded due to the depression of the central nervous system. Other effects include slowed and slurred speech, slow gait, constricted pupils, droopy eyelids, impaired night vision, vomiting and constipation.

Long term effects of heroin manifest after prolong use. Addicts may develop collapsed veins, infection of the heart lining and valves, abscesses, cellulites, and liver disease. The poor health of the heroin addict, as well as the heroins depressing effects on respiration can lead to pulmonary complications, including various types of pneumonia. In addition to the effects of the drug itself, street heroin may have additives that do not really dissolve and result in clogging the blood vessels that lead to the lungs, liver, kidneys, or brain. This can cause infection or even death of small patches of cells in vital organs.

Despite the aforesaid detrimental health effects, heroin is still widely used around the world today both for medical purposes and abuse. Part of its continuous popularity is due to the fact that it is relatively cheap and easy to obtain (Moormeister, 2007).  In Britain, doctors prescribe heroin to patients to treat their addiction and relieve their pain (Kihss, 1982). Heroin is a famous subject for countless writers, musicians and other artists over the past century of use (Health Care Prescription Drugs, Medication and Substance Abuse Website 2010). However, it is not established to what extent this influence is manifested in their crafts and relatively few artists attributed their success to the use of the illicit drugs.

Meth and heroin have gained popularity over the years despite the publicized hazardous effects of the abuse of these substances. But due to the fact that meth and heroin are only detrimental to the user, some people argue that it should not be prohibited because it is a victimless crime. By the end of the day, it would be wise to consult a medical doctor who can instruct you as to the physical benefits and harms. It would be wise to consult counselors who are knowledgeable about the psychological and moral dangers of meth and heroin, but in the end people must decide what would be best for them.