CHANDIGARH, June 29 — Heroin, the highly addictive opioid that has devastated communities across Punjab and other parts of northern India, doesn’t just alter lives—it rewires the brain, weakens the body, and slowly dismantles the nervous system. As the state grapples with a sharp rise in narcotics cases, medical professionals are sounding the alarm on the drug’s insidious impact on the human system.
“When heroin enters the bloodstream, it travels straight to the brain within seconds, triggering an intense rush of euphoria,” said Dr. Amanpreet Kaur, a senior psychiatrist at the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Sector 32, Chandigarh. “But that initial high comes at an enormous cost—both physically and neurologically.”
Heroin, derived from morphine, binds to the brain’s opioid receptors, especially those involved in feelings of pain and pleasure, as well as in controlling heart rate, sleeping, and breathing. Repeated use alters the natural functioning of the brain, shutting down the production of endorphins—the body’s own painkillers—and replacing them with artificial stimulation. Over time, the brain becomes dependent on the external drug, and users can no longer experience pleasure or relief without it.
“After just a few weeks of regular use, we start to see signs of neuroplasticity being hijacked. The brain begins to rewire itself around the presence of heroin,” explained Dr. Kaur. “It reduces grey matter volume, impairs decision-making, and triggers long-term psychiatric conditions like depression and anxiety.”
The nervous system is especially vulnerable. According to Dr. Harinder Singh, neurologist at Fortis Hospital, Mohali, chronic heroin use leads to neuropathy—damage to the nerves—causing persistent numbness, muscle weakness, and in severe cases, partial paralysis. “We’ve seen patients come in with collapsed veins, damaged spinal nerves, and disrupted motor coordination. These are not just short-term side effects—they’re often irreversible,” he said.
The impact on the autonomic nervous system—the part of the body that controls involuntary actions like breathing and heart rate—is perhaps the most dangerous. Heroin depresses respiratory function, often leading to hypoxia, a condition where the brain is starved of oxygen. “In overdose cases, the respiratory system simply shuts down,” said Dr. Singh. “That’s what makes heroin so lethal.”
Recent data from Punjab’s Anti-Narcotics Task Force indicates an alarming trend: a surge in heroin-related arrests and hospitalisations, especially among youth in their late teens and early twenties. “We are receiving more cases now than ever before,” confirmed Dr. Meenakshi Verma, a medical officer at a rehabilitation center in Chandigarh. “The average patient is getting younger, and the neurological symptoms are getting more advanced.”
Beyond the brain and nervous system, heroin damages the heart, liver, and kidneys. It suppresses immune function, making users more prone to infections. Long-term intravenous use often results in abscesses, endocarditis (infection of the heart lining), and even hepatitis and HIV due to needle sharing. Malnutrition and weight loss are common, as are gastrointestinal issues like chronic constipation.
One recovered addict, 27-year-old Gurpreet (name changed), shared the harrowing physical toll heroin took on his body. “I couldn’t sleep, I couldn’t eat. My hands would shake, and sometimes I’d black out just walking. I had no idea it was slowly killing me,” he said at a de-addiction centre in Sector 34. “My nerves were shot. I’m three years clean now, but I still can’t feel my left foot properly.”
What makes heroin particularly dangerous, experts say, is not just the drug itself, but the way it tricks the body into craving more. “The pleasure centres in the brain become so conditioned to the drug that the body goes into violent withdrawal without it,” said Dr. Kaur. Symptoms can include cold sweats, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle spasms, and uncontrollable restlessness. “It’s pure agony,” she said. “Many patients relapse simply to escape the pain.”
Despite the grim realities, doctors stress that recovery is possible—but only with long-term medical and psychological support. “Heroin dependency is not just a habit—it’s a chronic brain disease,” said Dr. Singh. “Treatment requires a comprehensive approach: detoxification, psychiatric therapy, medication like methadone or buprenorphine, and community reintegration.”
In many parts of Punjab, where heroin addiction has reached crisis levels, grassroots awareness campaigns and government-run rehab centres are trying to counter the tide. Yet stigma, denial, and limited access to quality treatment continue to hinder progress. “Families often hide the problem instead of confronting it,” said Dr. Verma. “And by the time they bring the patient in, the damage is already done.”
With the state government ramping up its anti-narcotics drive and medical experts pushing for stronger intervention policies, the hope is to stop heroin before it cripples another generation. But until then, the drug’s silent war on the body—and the mind—continues.
As Gurpreet puts it, “Heroin doesn’t just ruin your life. It takes your body, your brain, and then your soul—one hit at a time.”
