Final answer:
Short-term effects of morphine and heroin include euphoria and pleasure, with heroin causing a state of alternating consciousness over several hours. The opioid crisis links prescription opioid use to increased heroin abuse. Methadone is used to treat heroin addiction by alleviating withdrawal symptoms without causing further addiction.
Step-by-step explanation:
The short-term effects of both morphine and heroin include intense feelings of euphoria and pleasure. Heroin, which can be administered in several ways including snorting, smoking, and injecting, may lead to a state known as "going on the nod," characterized by a period of 4-6 hours where the user alternates between being conscious and semi-conscious. These effects are enhanced when heroin is injected intravenously. Morphine, which is also a strong narcotic and is derived from the opium poppy plant like heroin, contains two hydroxyl functional groups and is used to relieve pain. It is important to note that both substances carry the risk of leading to opioid addiction and increase the risk for diseases such as tuberculosis and HIV due to needle sharing.
The opioid crisis has been exacerbated by the prescription of opioid-based pain management drugs, with heroin abuse often starting from the legal distribution of these medications. Withdrawal symptoms from opioids can be severe, resembling the flu, and therefore, drugs like methadone are used in treatment to help ease withdrawal symptoms without creating further addiction. This is why a person with a heroin addiction might be prescribed methadone, a synthetic opioid that is less euphoric than heroin.