t be in liquid form. The powder is dissolved in water which users heat in a spoon over a match flame. In the early 1980s a link between intravenous drug use and AIDS was developed forcing the drug users to find a safer way to consume the drug. Strains of heroin now available allow the users to get high by sniffing the drug to avoid the danger of injection. Street heroin as well has transformed over the years by mixing it with other substances (Allen, Simonson 285).Street market heroin today is almost always diluted. Sugar, starch, quinine, and powdered milk are frequently used. Over the years, more of these materials have been added to street heroin; as the available heroin becomes weaker, the heroin users are forced to use larger amounts to get the same effect. Most users consume around fifty milligrams of heroin daily, at a cost of 75 to 150 dollars a day. When one buys diluted heroin, his tolerance to the drug increases, so he needs more and more heroin (Berger 19). Since there is no way to measure the purity of a bag of diluted heroin bought on the street there is always a danger of overdose. A mild overdose of heroin usually results in either a stupor or a very heavy sleep. A larger overdose may induce a coma, with completely limp, slow, shallow breathing, and cold clammy skin. In the most severe cases of overdose, the person goes into convulsions and stops breathing, resulting in death. Overdosing is not the only problem facing drug users; heroin users also face many withdrawal symptoms (Berger 19). If the user can not get the drug they face the pains of withdrawal. The effects of withdrawal may include irritability, tremors, chills, sweating, vomiting, runny eyes and nose, muscle aches, abdominal pains, and diarrhea. The intensity of these symptoms depend on the amount used and the degree of dependence. Withdrawal symptoms reach their peak within 48-72 hours. Pains in the bones or muscles of the back, arms, and ...
