Chasing Heroin Research Paper

Heroin can resemble an image a caring person; calming, there to relieve, and comfort all pain, inside and out. Once you accept, it attaches, holding on with a tight grip. The potent street opioid is hard to leave; starting from the first hit. In “Chasing Heroin” many of the addicts resemble the effects heroin carries. A variety of treatment options are available to reduce and remove those images and effects of heroin one may experience. Methadone a well-known treatment. Ever since the existence of methadone, addicts have turned to the drug to escape heroin.
The existence of heroin has been around for ages. Consuming America and everyone inside. “The CDC has shown a dramatic rise in the heroin epidemic” (Newscaster). The epidemic has been building up for a while. However, heroin didn’t pop up out of the blue. Before, pain was relieved by a variety of opiates. They were easy to obtain and legal. Purdue Pharma, a huge, invested drug company, introduced an opiate called oxycontin to doctors. The company, Purdue Pharma “took the
existing, old drug and they introduced a time-release mechanism into it so that it would be significantly less addictive” (Katherine Eban). Making it safe for patients to use. Bottles and bottles were being prescribed to patients for several years. Consequently, in 2007 the drug company was caught red-handed, “after four years of investigating Purdue admitted to fraudulent marketing.” With no oxycontin around, people turned to street opiates, heroin (Dr. Tom McLellan). Leaving America with a new epidemic emergence. With the rise of the heroin epidemic, specialists have been seeking for possible, simple solutions.
Moreover, most solutions have been found only to treat the disease in a short time frame, not necessarily “cure” it. “In the first year after treatment heroin addicts relapse by 60%” (Narrator). Doctor’s realized that there had to be another way to possibly “cure” heroin. “Methadone was originally used for painkillers until the 1970s, when it was embraced as an effective way to treat heroin users in withdrawal” (Narrator). The drug, methadone is consumed once a day to assist addicts in heroin withdrawals. The drug is easy to use and start, ordinarily the location of a nearby clinic may be the challenge. Methadone clinics can be as far as 2-3 hours. Leaving others who need the drug out of reach. If the government invested in new clinics placed in reasonable areas, the rise in overdoses may decrease. Also giving those in need a second
chance. Ever since the existence of methadone, the drug has saved many lives and stopped several addicts from relapsing. Heroin is considered a strong, street opioid that attracts everyone of all ages. In the short term, pain is gone, but in the long run, leaves one with the scars of heroin. Testing more than enough treatments, medics have found no luck to reduce the rising number in heroin overdoses. Methadone made its way to heroin users in the 1970s. For years now, methadone has changed many lives through strong, positive results. Giving those who wanted several chances another chance to leave heroin.