Heroin News and Research

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Heroin is a very addictive chemical called diacetylmorphine. Heroin is a modified form of morphine, a highly abundant opium derived from the seedpods of the poppy plant.

Quitting heroin under anesthesia is dangerous and ineffective

According to a new study, having a general anesthesia is not an effective way for heroin users to avoid the painful, drawn-out process of breaking their habit and can be dangerous.

24 Aug 2005

First direct evidence that endorphins play a role in the phenomenon known as the placebo effect

Just thinking that a medicine will relieve pain is enough to prompt the brain to release its own natural painkillers, and soothe painful sensations, a new University of Michigan study finds.

23 Aug 2005

Use of general anesthesia for heroin detoxification offers no benefit when compared to two other methods

The use of general anesthesia for heroin detoxification offers no benefit when compared to two other methods, and is associated with several potentially life-threatening adverse events, according to an article in the August 24/31 issue of JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association.

23 Aug 2005

Mom and Dad's disapproval a greater deterrant than the law when it comes to drugs and alcohol

Latest survey shows steep rise in students attending schools with access to drugs.

21 Aug 2005

Crystal meth crackdown - families back tougher sentences

Many Canadians families affected by crystal methamphetamine abuse, are in support of longer jail sentences for dealers and users of the drug.

15 Aug 2005

Young people in the UK report little difficulty in obtaining cigarettes, alcohol, and other drugs

Reviewing several recent surveys of young people, the authors note that underage smokers can acquire cigarettes easily, often from friends and relatives. Most regular smokers aged 12-15 also say they buy cigarettes from shops.

11 Aug 2005

Opiates themselves are superior to sedatives for treating infants born to women who used heroin or methadone while pregnant

Opiates appear to better "ameliorate the withdrawal, facilitate feeding and potentially reduce the likelihood of seizures," according to two new systematic reviews done by David Osborn, a neonatologist at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney, Australia, and colleagues.

26 Jul 2005

Prescription drug abuse in the USA exceeds 15 million

A recently released report by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University suggests between 1992 and 2003, more Americans were abusing controlled prescription drugs than cocaine, hallucinogens, inhalants and heroin put together.

11 Jul 2005

Forensic use of tandem mass-spectroscopy detects links between banknotes and drugs

Research published in this month’s edition of the journal Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry, describes a method that can detect a pattern of contamination on banknotes from drug related crime that is different from the pattern seen in general circulation. The process is significantly faster than other previous methods.

28 Jun 2005

Office-based buprenorphine treatment for drug abuse shows promise

Patients who receive buprenorphine treatment for opioid addiction in an office-based setting are more likely than those receiving methadone treatment to be young men, new to drug use, and with no history of methadone treatment, Yale School of Medicine researchers report in a study published in Drug and Alcohol Dependence.

28 Jun 2005

Evidence grows for change in cannabis laws

Studies linking cannabis use to mental illnesses and addictive drugs such as heroin are compelling reasons for the State Government to revise its soft-on-drugs legislation, the Australian Medical Association (WA) said today.

21 Jun 2005

Canada first country to approve cannabis based painkiller

Canada has become the first country to approve a cannabis based painkiller for multiple sclerosis (MS) patients.

21 Jun 2005

High rates of herpes simplex virus 2 and syphilis among young drug users in Baltimore

The study found that women had significantly higher rates compared to their male counterparts, but did not find significant differences between injection drug users and non-injection drug users.

16 Jun 2005

Buprenorphine treatment for opioid addiction shows promise

16 Jun 2005

Nicotine triggers the same neural pathways that give opiates their addictively rewarding properties

In experiments with mice, researchers have found that nicotine triggers the same neural pathways that give opiates such as heroin their addictively rewarding properties--including associating an environment with the drug's reward.

15 Jun 2005

Crystal Meth Summit in Canada wants drug re-classified

Crystal meth, a powerful addictive drug has now become such a problem in Canada that law enforcement officials met in Regina last week for a Crystal Meth Summit.

12 Jun 2005

Ruling does not overturn California law permitting the use of medical marijuana

California Attorney General Bill Lockyer issued the following statement on this week's ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court in Gonzales v. Raich, which holds that federal laws prohibiting the use of medical marijuana remain in effect regardless of state laws that permit its use:

10 Jun 2005

Dutch team shows cost effectiveness of heroin prescriptions

Researchers at the University of Amsterdam say there are strong reasons to support the practice of prescribing heroin to drug misusers.

6 Jun 2005

Prescribing methadone plus heroin to chronic, treatment resistant addicts is less costly than methadone alone

Prescribing methadone plus heroin to chronic, treatment resistant addicts is less costly than methadone alone because it reduces criminal behaviour, finds a study in this week's BMJ.

3 Jun 2005

Clues about how alcoholic behavior is “switched” on

As part of an ongoing effort to understand the biochemical basis of alcohol abuse, scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory have published two studies on how modulating receptors for dopamine - a chemical “signaler” in the brain’s reward circuits - affects drinking behavior in mice and rats.

9 May 2005