Heroin Celebrities Vs Everyday Heroin Users

Heroin Celebrities vs. Everyday Heroin Users

Heroin as been around for many centuries and it is affecting everyone that uses it and exposed to it. Heroin has taken lives from our loved ones and from people that we know. Even in show biz celebrities struggle with heroin use just the same as an everyday user. People that get addicted to drugs usually are dealing with a depression or some type of stress in their lives.

What exactly is heroin? " Heroin is an opiate drug that is synthesized from morphine, a naturally occurring substance extracted from the seed of pod of the Asian opium poppy plant", (2010, Heroin-Info facts-NIDA). When heroin enters the brain the morphine then binds to the opioid receptors. The receptor has a very important part in our brain stem- such as breathing, blood pressure, and arousal." Heroin on the streets have a different names/slang terms for itself, it could be called Big H, Black Tar, Brown Sugar, Dope, Horse, Junk, Muc, Skag, or Smac. Heroin can be used in a variety of ways, depending on the user. Heroin can be injected into the vein, it can be smoked like a cigarette, inhaled as smoke through a straw ,known as "chasing the dragon," snorted as powder via the nose" ,(2011 The Partnership at Drug free.org). Heroin users feel a "rush" when using the drug they also have a cloudy mental ability to function. "It is estimated that about 23 percent of individuals who use heroin become dependant on it", (2010, Heroin-Info Facts-NIDA).

Heroin is considered to be the second serious drug threat in the state of California. The cost of heroin a user can spend can range from hundreds of dollars per week. Celebrates can easily throw away money to accommodate for their drug problem. In the past it seems like the talk of a celebrity on drugs was a " low profile" , but now it is not a surprise to find some well known celebrity on the news that has been arrested for drugs or dealing with a drug problem. If celebrities were prosecuted just like and received equal punishment to everyday heroin users, it is possible that this drug use would have decreased instead of increased in use. Celebrities are people just like anyone else. Celebrities live a life without limits, and are surrounded by people that would say "yes" to everything than to look out for that person's health and well- being.

Matt Clarke the author of Celebrity Justice: Prison Lifestyle of the Rich and Famous (retrieved from https://www.prisonlegalnews.org.) could not have said it better when he stated," there are two types of criminal justice system in the United States. One is for people with wealth, fame and influence who can afford to hire top-notch attorneys and public relations firms, who make campaign contributions to sheriffs, legislators and other elected officials, and who enjoy certain privileges to their celebrity status or their bank accounts. The other justice system is for everybody else".

In the southern part of the state of California, for over a decade the suburban jails have cells that are considered" upscale cells", cost wealthy "clients" around $45 to about $175 a day,( Clarke, 2011). The Celebrities are even allowed some of their own luxury like cell phones, computers, iPods, or even allowed to bring their own meals. This should have been forbidden. This is unfair to the other people who were found guilty of the same crime. "Regular" people have to wait in jail at times for an opening hearing that could take up to years. When the wealthy people can throw forward some money and it's like an express lane was put in for them to quickly resolve their charges.

Celebrity Rehab Centers can also be offered just like they are offered to everyone else, but the "television world" has turned celebrity rehab centers into a drama "real life" episodes to make a profit off of this. The everyday people have to go through sessions after sessions and it is not broadcasted out to the public all over the television, and they have to pay for their own sessions, they do not get a profit of any kind for doing this. Money does talk and it has been that way for a long time. No morals to what is right and wrong. Just because you have more money than others that should not allow you a free get out of jail pass. The justice system is supposed to be equitable. For instance, "while in Pasadena jail, Dr.