Opiates Abuse

Q.) What effects do Opiates have on pregnant women?

A.) Opiates are harmful to a developing fetus. Pregnant women who are dependent on opiates have a higher risk for spontaneous abortions, breech deliveries, premature births and stillbirths. Babies born to opiate-addicted mothers often have withdrawal symptoms similar to adults. These symptoms may last several weeks or months. Researchers have also found an increased risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) among babies born to heroin-addicted mothers.

Q.) What are some signs and symptoms of Opiate use?

A.)

Lethargy, drowsiness
Constricted pupils and reduced vision
Shallow breathing
Needle or track marks on inner arms or other parts of the body from injecting needles
Redness and raw nostrils from sniffing heroin
Excessive perspiration, shaking, vomiting, chills or other withdrawal symptoms
Use or possession of paraphernalia including syringes, bent spoons, bottle caps, eye droppers, rubber tubing, cotton and needles.

Q.) Are Opiates addictive?

A.) Long-term use of opioids causes tolerance to develop so that in order to achieve the same degree of euphoria, larger and larger doses must be taken. When people have been off the drug for some time their tolerance decreases and a common cause of death results from a user taking the same amount of drug used before they stopped or cut down.

When high doses have been taken for several weeks, a sudden withdrawal causes symptoms of discomfort similar to flu. These include aches, sweating and chills, tremor, sneezing and yawning and muscular spasms, all or some of which usually commence between 8 and 24 hours after the last dose of heroin. Although these effects usually fade within 7 to 10 days, feelings of weakness and loss of well being can last for several months.

Physical dependence is easier to overcome than psychological dependence, which some long-term users develop, although dependence of any kind is not a certainty. Some people can use heroin on an occasional basis and not become addicted.

Prolonged usage can cause physical damage to the body, although not necessarily from the drug itself. Repeated injections with dirty needles can result in diseases such as Hepatitis, AIDS and Tetanus, especially when sharing needles. There is also a risk of using impure drugs which have been mixed with unknown substances. Repeated sniffing of heroin damages the nose.

Apathy and reduced appetite caused by drug use can lead to disease as a result of a poor diet, self neglect and bad housing conditions. The increasing cost of satisfying tolerance / dependence can lead to money problems which can result in self neglect and major social problems.