Seeking new methods to treat heroin addiction
Thursday, September 26, 2013 - 13:30
in Psychology & Sociology
The heroin high and feelings of pain relief manifest themselves almost immediately after the drug has been injected. Yet it was shown many years ago that heroin is inactive at the opioid receptors in the brain. So what is it about heroin that brings about such a pronounced effect? One widely-held theory has been that heroin passes quickly into the brain where it is converted into morphine, and that what users are actually experiencing are the effects of morphine. As it turns out, however, heroin undergoes a number of important transformations on its way to the brain.