Smack, skag, H, dope, junk, hammer, slow, gear, harry, big harry, horse, black tar, china white, Chinese H, white dynamite, dragon, elephant, homebake, poison.
Heroin
- Heroin is one of a group of drugs known as opioids. It is manufactured from morphine which comes from the opium poppy.
- Other opioids include opium, morphine, codeine, pethidine, oxycodone, buprenorphine and methadone.
- Heroin can range from a fine white powder to off-white granules or pieces of brown ‘rock’.
- It has a bitter taste but no smell and is usually packaged in “foils” [aluminium foil] or small, coloured balloons.
AKA (common names)
Low - moderate doses
- feelings of intense pleasure
- strong feelings of well-being
- pain relief
- reduces stress and emotional pain
- cough suppression
- controls diarrhoea
- confusion
- constricted pupils
- lowered cough reflex
- reduced sexual urges
- drowsiness
- slurred and slow speech
- reduced coordination
- dry mouth
- decreased heart rate and blood pressure
- slow breathing rate
- nausea and vomiting
- reduced appetite
- strong rituals of sharing drug-using experience
High doses
A high dose of heroin can cause an individual to overdose. This means that an individual has taken more heroin than the body can cope with.
The risk of overdose increases if the strength or purity of the heroin is not known. Injecting heroin increases the risk of overdose due to large amounts of the drug entering the blood stream and quickly travelling to the brain.
In addition to the side effects already listed, an individual may experience:
- impaired concentration
- going “on the nod”
- shallow and slow breathing
- nausea and vomiting
- iIncreased sweating and itching
- urge to pass urine but difficulty doing so
- drop in body temperature
- irregular heartbeat
- unconsciousness
- death
Signs of overdose
Airways and lungs:
- no breathing
- shallow breathing
- slow and difficult breathing
Eyes, ears, nose, and throat:
- dry mouth
- extremely small pupils, sometimes as small as the head of a pin ("pinpoint pupils")
- tongue discoloration
Heart and blood:
- low blood pressure
- weak pulse
Skin:
- bluish-colored nails and lips
Stomach and intestines:
- constipation
- spasms of the stomach and intestinal tract
Nervous system:
- coma
- delirium
- disorientation
- drowsiness
- muscle spasticity
Route of administration & onset
- Heroin is mostly injected into veins (intravenous).
- It is also smoked, known as “chasing the dragon”, snorted, or added to cannabis or tobacco cigarettes
- Depending on how heroin is taken, the effects may be felt within 7-8 seconds (injecting) or within 10-15 minutes (snorting or smoking).
- The effects of heroin can last for approximately 3-5 hours.
Duration of effect & 'come down' (half-life)
- The effects of heroin can last for approximately 3-5 hours.
- An individual who is coming down from heroin use may feel irritable as the drug leaves their body.
- They may also feel depressed.
Mechanism of action (on the brain)
- Activates receptors called mu and delta opioid receptors.
- These receptors are abundant in brain areas involved in responses to psychoactive substances, such as in the mesolimbic dopamine pathway.
Tolerance (dependence) & withdrawal
Repeated use of heroin can lead to neurobiological adaptation (dependence), specifically a reduction in numbers of endogenous opioid receptors. They may also develop a tolerance to heroin, which means they will need to use larger amounts to get the same effect.
Heroin withdrawal begins within 6-24 hours after last use, symptoms peak at 24-48 hours and subside within 5-10 days. Symptoms include:
- increased sweating
- runny eyes & nose
- urinary frequency
- diarrhoea
- abdominal cramps
- nausea
- vomiting
- muscle spasm
- headaches
- back aches
- cramps
- twitching
- joint pain
- goose bumps
- pupillary dilatation
- elevated blood pressure
- tachycardia
- anxiety
- irritability
- dysphoria (low mood)
- disturbed sleep
- increased cravings for heroin
Although heroin withdrawal is extremely unpleasant, it is not life threatening to users with no medical complications.
Adapted from http://www.dacas.org.au/Alcohol_other_Drug_Info/OPIATES___OPIOIDS.aspx
Short-term harms & risks
- confusion
- constricted pupils
- lowered cough reflex
- reduced sexual urges
- drowsiness
- slurred and slow speech
- reduced coordination
- dry mouth
- decreased heart rate and blood pressure
- slow breathing rate
- nausea and vomiting
- reduced appetite
Long-term harms & risks
- dependence
- constipation
- menstrual irregularity; infertility in women
- loss of sex drive in men
- intense sadness
- cognitive impairment
- tetanus
- damage to heart, lungs, liver and brain
- damage to the nasal lining from repeated snorting
- vein damage from frequent injection
- skin, heart and lung infections from frequent injections
- damage to veins from injection of impurities and additives in heroin
