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Home ›› Consumers ›› Drug Information ›› Heroin
Heroin belongs to a group of drugs known as
opiates (sometime called narcotic analgesics)
Other opiates include opium, morphine, codeine, pethidine and
methadone
History
Although opium cultivation is concentrated in
Asia, it is grown widely around the world.
Opium has
been used by many cultures for both medical and recreational
purposes.
Opium is refined to produce morphine and
codeine which are then used to manufacture heroin.
Heroin comes
as white to off-white granules or pieces of 'rock' with a bitter
taste but no smell.
Heroin is most commonly injected into a vein.
It is also smoked (chasing the dragon) or snorted.
Common street
names: dope, gear, H, hammer, harry, horse, junk, skag, slow,
smack.
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Effects
The effects of any drug,
including heroin, vary from person to person.
They are
influenced by variables such as:
- The individuals health status (including height and weight)
- Mood and emotional well-being
- Purity of the drug
- Route of administration
- The environment in which the drug is taken (alone, social
setting, etc)
- Tolerance
- Use of other drugs (legal or otherwise)
Both the physical and physiological effects of heroin may last
3-4 hours.
The immediate effects may include:
- A sense of heightened relaxation;
- Pain relief;
- Diminished hunger;
- Diminished sexual urges;
- Reduction in blood pressure, heart and respiratory rates;
- Constriction of the pupils
- Drying out of the mouth;
- Drowsiness and/or sleep.
- Nausea and vomiting
Once an individual's body has adjusted to the use of heroin he or
she can become a social user. That is the person's life is not
dominated by their heroin use. They can function adequately in
relationships, work, study, etc.
The effects of an increase in use of heroin include:
- Reduced level of concentration;
- Likelihood of sleep;
- Shallower and slower breathing;
- Nausea and vomiting;
- Sweating and itching on the skin;
- Constipation;
- Menstrual irregularity;
- A reduced sex drive in both men and women
- Infertility in women.
Longer term and particularly unsafe use causes complications that
include, skin, heart and lung infections and diseases such as
Hepatitis and Human-Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and dependency.
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Tolerance & Dependence
As a person uses heroin more regularly, a tolerance to its
effects is developed.
An ongoing user's tolerance means
increasing amounts of the drug are required to achieve the desired
effects. Eventually the person will use heroin to delay the onset of
withdrawal signs and symptoms, rather than for any euphoric effect.
In this situation the person is dependent on heroin.
The major indicator of a person's heroin dependence is the
existence of the Drug Dependence
Syndrome.
The signs and symptoms of drug dependence
syndrome have been defined by the World Health Organisation as:
- Existence of the Neurodaptation Syndrome indicated by pain and
pilo erection (cold turkey) if the user reduces and or ceases
their heroin use.
- Narrowing of the behavioural repertoire occurs so that the
person becomes more dominated by their drug use and pays a reduced
amount of attention to, for example positive self care, fitness,
work and study.
- Salience of drug seeking behaviour evidenced by the increased
effort a user will go to in obtaining the drugs.
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Overdose
Overdose of heroin can occur because:
- Heroin is not quality controlled and may contain other
substances such as sugar, cleaning agents, and caffeine. Therefore
the user does not always know the precise dose that they are
administering.
- Interaction of the heroin with other drugs and/or alcohol,
especially alcohol or benzodiazepines
- The user's heart and respiratory rates are greatly slowed and
the blood pressure reduced, leading to death.
Most overdoses occur as a result of poly-drug
use.
Complications of heroin overdose also include: chest
infection; accidents such as falls; paraesthesia of nerves and
muscles; motor car accidents; amongst others.
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Withdrawal
When a social user of heroin stops using, very mild withdrawal
signs and symptoms will be experienced.
More severe withdrawal
signs and symptoms will be experienced when a heroin-dependent
person stops using.
The signs and symptoms of heroin
withdrawal are:
- craving for heroin;
- elevated heart rate;
- emotional depression;
- goose bumps;
- leg and stomach cramps;
- low blood pressure;
- runny nose;
- diarrhoea
- vomiting; and
- yawning.
Withdrawal symptoms get stronger and usually peak around 2 to 4
days after last use. They begin to get weaker and usually subside
after 6 to 7 days.
As a person withdraws, signs and symptoms may
begin to emerge that reflect underlying problems that include
insomnia, irritability, agitation and an elevated heart rate.
The death of someone who is in withdrawal from heroin is very
unlikely unless there are other complicating factors.
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Treatment Options
The range of treatment options in Australia includes:
Abstinence models such as therapeutic
communities and outpatient counselling and
Non-abstinence models
including the use of pharmacotherapies such as Methadone,
Buprenorphine and Naltrexone.
The aims of these
non-abstinence models are to provide appropriate medication and
encourage a reduction in harm resulting from drug use.
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(Southcity Clinic acknowledges the assistance of the Australian Drug Foundation in
compiling this information;Image in the public domain
courtesy of prevlink.org)
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