Heroin (Diacetylmorphine or Diamorphine) is one of the opiates, a group of pain killing drugs derived from the Opium poppy. Is also known as Junk, Smack, Brown, Skag, H, Gear.
Heroin is normally injected into a vein, a muscle, or subcutaneously (under the skin). If smoked or snorted, the effect is less intense and takes longer to come on. The effects are almost immediate, and whichever way administered, very similar. The user may initially feel nauseous. A feeling of calm and warmth spreads through the body. Any troubles or pains seem very distant, and unimportant. At higher doses, the user slips nto a dreamlike experience where you are not asleep or awake, but somewhere between the two states.
The purity of each individual batch of heroin is unknown. Injecting a dose of Heroin which is purer than expected, is one of the main causes of an accidental overdose, and could be lethal.
As well as being a very powerful painkiller, Heroin also depresses Central Nervous System activity and has physical effects similar to depressants. Heart rate and breathing slow down and the cough reflex is suppressed. The activity of the bowel is depressed, which can cause constipation. Some blood vessels dilate, releasing heat through the body - this gives a feeling of warmth, although the heat is actually being given out. Women who use Opiates can have irregular menstruation, although they are still able to conceive.
At normal doses, someone who uses Heroin can talk and think coherently. At higher doses sedation occurs, and the user becomes drowsy, and may actually lose consciousness. Pupils become tiny (this is known as being pinned) and the user's eyes roll back.
Overdosing on Heroin usually leads to death through respiratory failure. Using other depressant drugs at the same time as Heroin (for example alcohol or barbiturates) increases the depressant effects of each drug, and increases the risk of an accidental overdose.
Sometimes the substances that Heroin is mixed with when it is sold can cause damage to the body if injected. Clean needles and syringes should always be used to keep the risk of infection to a minimum. Needles and syringes should never be shared, as this can directly transport viruses such as HIV and Hepatitis from one person to another. Your own needles should not be reused either without cleaning, otherwise harmful bacteria on the skin can be introduced into the blood system, possibly causing death. A new fix is always best.
Regular use will lead to severe physical addiction. This means that if you stop using it, you will suffer hectic withdrawal symptoms. These can last up to a week and include muscle spasms, sweating, nausea and vomiting, lots of physical pain, an inability to concentrate or do anything, extreme feelings of anxiety and insomnia. Thereafter insomnia can last for up to one month.
We haven't been exposed to heroin junkies on street corners in SA like the kids in Europe have, and can't imagine how degenerated an older addict can look. We also don't have a methedone (substitute) programme or a clean needle service. We are told all drugs are bad so we think that they are all equally dangerous. They are not. Some, like Heroin, pose much more of a serious threat to your life and well being.
RaveSafe flyer on Cocaine and Heroin SANCA / Phoenix House (South Africa) 011 726-4210
Disclaimer This Guide is provided for informational purposes ONLY. RaveSafe, it's volunteers and its sponsors do not condone or advocate the use of illegal substances. RaveSafe accepts NO responsibility for the way the information in this used, nor for any harm that might occur from the use of the information contained in this document. Although a concerted effort has been made to ensure the validity of the information contained in this document, no guarantees or assurances of accuracy are provided by anyone. Read and act at your own risk.