The Punjab Police recently seized 28 kgs of heroin worth crores of rupees in Amritsar. The Special Narcotic Cell officials nabbed two smugglers who were involved in smuggling of narcotics. The two smugglers were Indians. According to the police, they used to get consignments of drugs from Pakistan, which they used to sell in the local markets of India.

Heroin is a highly addictive drug processed from morphine found in the Asian opium poppy plants. Heroin generally appears as a white or brown powder or as a black sticky material, which is usually injected, snorted, or smoked by the users.

Heroin enters the brain and acts on receptors, which process critical information such as breathing and blood pressure. So, Heroin overdose involves a suppression of respiration.

As the Heroin affects the brain, the users feel a surge of euphoria accompanied by dryness of mouth; a warm flushing of the skin, and impaired mental functioning and the person feels drowsy.

Tolerance increases in a person who regularly uses the Heroin. Both physical and mental responses to the drug decreases and as a result more Heroin is needed to get the same intensity of effect on him. Heroin users easily get addicted. National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) estimated that nearly 23 percent of individuals who use heroin become addicted to it.

Heroin abuse causes many health ailments such as fatal overdose, spontaneous abortion; infectious diseases including HIV/AIDS and hepatitis particularly in users who inject the drug. Heroin addiction may lead to collapsed veins, infection of the heart lining and valves, abscesses, and kidney or liver diseases. Impure form of Heroin is more dangerous as it often contains toxic contaminants or additives that can clog the blood vessels leading to the lungs, liver, kidneys, or brain, causing permanent damage to these vital organs of the body.

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By MND A01