Hammered By Heroin

HEROIN - H, Hammer, Horse, Smack, Junk
Heroin is derived from the opium poppy and is frequently sold in a rock or powdered form, which is typically white or pink/beige in colour. Interestingly, it was utilised as a cough medicine in the 1900s. It is a depressant, which means it suppresses the activity of the central nervous system. Heroin is one of the more stronger and addictive drugs.

Heroin is most commonly injected but can also be smoked or snorted. It is absorbed into the blood and acts on the brain quickly.

Recently, street level heroin has increased in quality and decreased in price, making it more readily accessible to the wider community. However, heroin addiction remains extremely expensive in comparison to other drugs on the illegal market and is a major cause for many crimes being committed to feed and support this habit. The money spent on buying one gram of heroin would buy a stereo television or a holiday to Bali.

The effects of heroin will vary from individual to individual but generally the effect of this drug is that it provides an extremely intense rush and a high that can last up to six hours or more. It is highly addictive making regular users psychologically and physically dependent upon it. Long-term effects include constipation, loss of appetite, pneumonia, menstrual irregularity and loss of sex drive.

As with a majority of drugs, regular drug-use can lead to social and emotional problems within the private and public arena.

THE EFFECTS

The immediate effects of heroin in small doses may include any of the following - feeling of wellbeing, relief of pain, shallow breathing, nausea and vomiting, constipation, sleepiness, loss of balance, coordination and concentration.

If taken in high doses it can result in pupils narrowing to pinpoints, breathing becomes even shallower and the central nervous system can be depressed to the point where a person slips into a coma and dies.

Then there are the risks of contracting HIV (the virus which causes AIDS), Hepatitis B and C and other infections caused by the sharing of needles and injecting equipment like needles, swabs and the like.

Withdrawal from heroin can cause symptoms of restlessness, stomach and leg cramps and low blood pressure to name but a few.

As with any drugs, there is the danger that the actual drug may in fact be impure which can trigger a detrimental outcome.

Impure street heroin is mixtures of pure heroin mixed in with other substances like sugar for example, making it extremely lethal. Impure heroin causes collapsed veins, tetanus, abscesses and can damage the heart, lungs, liver and the brain. As the user may not be aware of the strength of the drug they are taking, it is quite easy and common to accidentally overdose and die. Overdose (also referred to as the slang term OD-ing) can happen to anyone even in people who have taken a smaller amount.

In the event that a person using heroin overdoses, it is important to know what to do if you are confronted with this situation.
DO call an ambulance; stay with the person and attempt to keep them awake; check their breathing and clear their airway; and try to remain calm.

DON'T put anything in their mouth (this may cause them to choke or stop them from breathing); avoid placing them under the shower or injecting them with any other substances.

It is illegal to possess, use, manufacture, supply, import and trade heroin.


- Annemarie Failla