Heroin

Heroin is a dangerous and illegal drug with a high addictive potential. It is also an effective painkiller. Heroin belongs to the opioid family of drugs. Also in the opioid family are the “opiates,” such as morphine and codeine, which are natural compounds found in the opium poppy; and “synthetic” opioids, such as Demerol (meperidine) and methadone, which are chemically manufactured. Heroin is a “semi-synthetic” opioid: it is made from morphine that has been chemically processed. It enters the brain quickly and produces a more immediate effect. Heroin is converted back into morphine in the brain.

In its pure form, heroin is a fine, white, bitter-tasting crystalline powder that dissolves in water. When it is sold on the street, its colour and consistency vary, depending on the manufacturing process and what additives it has been mixed, or “cut,” with. Street heroin may come in the form of a white powder, a brown and sometimes grainy substance or a dark brown sticky gum. The purity of heroin varies from batch to batch, and can range from two to 98 per cent.

Street Names: Junk, H, Smack, Horse, Skag, Dope

Method of use: Heroin can be sniffed, smoked, or swallowed and can be injected intravenously, under the skin, or into the muscle

Effects of Use:

  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Slowed breathing
  • Pinpoint pupils
  • Itchiness
  • Sweating
  • Constipation
  • Loss of sexual interest and libido

Heroin use causes changes in mood and behavior. People who are addicted to heroin may be docile and compliant after taking the drug, and irritable and aggressive during withdrawal.

What are the long-term effects of using heroin?

Addiction, and the medical, social and legal complications that often result from heroin use, can be devastating to the lives of the people who use the drug.
Research using brain scans has revealed that long-term regular use of heroin results in changes in the way the brain works. While the effect of these changes is not fully understood, this research has shown that it may take months or years for the brain to return to normal functioning after a person stops using heroin.