Heroin
What is it?
Heroin is usually sold as a brown powder. The powder starts life as the milky sap of the opium poppy papaverum somniferum. The sap is collected and dried to form a gum. The gum is washed and becomes opium. Opium contains two painkilling alkaloids, codeine and morphine. Morphine that has been extracted from opium can be further refined to create diamorphine, or heroin. Weight for weight, heroin is about 40 times more powerful than raw opium.
What does it do?
All opiates - drugs that come from the opium poppy - are painkillers, closely imitating your own painkilling body hormones (which is why they are so effective). People who use heroin describe feelings of relaxation, warmth and a sense of wellbeing. Nothing matters. Wrapped up in cotton wool. Initially, most people who use heroin feel nauseous and often vomit. This is followed by a period when the user is conscious but looks like they're falling asleep. Breathing and heart rate decrease. Once this has passed the user is able to interact normally with other people, although to them their experience will have taken on a dream-like quality. Heroin is used in medicine (it's called diamorphine when it's prescribed) as an anaesthetic and powerful analgesic for relief from severe pain. Regular use will cause dependence (see below) and constipation. Female users may have interrupted periods.
What are the risks?
There are two main risks with heroin: overdose and dependence. Heroin depresses the activity of the central nervous system like alcohol, sleeping tablets (temazepam, for example) and tranquillisers (like valium). This is what causes the breathing and heart rate to slow down. Someone who takes more of any depressant drug than their body can cope with (an overdose) will lose consciousness, drift off and will stop breathing. Mixing depressant drugs increases this risk - you can overdose much more easily. Injecting heroin can easily lead to an overdose. If you don't know how strong the heroin is, it's easy to take too much. If somebody is overdosing and starting to lose consciousness don't panic! It is important to call an ambulance and stay with them until help arrives. Try to keep them conscious for as long as possible - talk to them. If they lose consciousness, put them in the recovery position. If they vomit, clear their airway. When the paramedics arrive tell them what drugs have been taken so the right medical attention can be given to the person as soon as possible. If anybody takes an opiate regularly they will develop a physical tolerance to the substance (they need to take more to get the same effect). It doesn't make any difference whether an opiate is being smoked or injected, prescribed or taken without prescription. The body starts to rely on the chemical being present, and without it the user will become physically and mentally sick. It's not that unusual for someone with a heroin habit to find themselves using £25 - £100 worth of the drug each day. Finding the money for this kind of habit can become a problem in itself, often leading to dealing or other criminal activity. Someone withdrawing from an opiate habit (clucking, or going cold turkey) is likely to experience several unpleasant physical symptoms. Hot and cold sweats, nausea, diarrhoea and confusion are accompanied by an intense craving to take more of the drug to make them well again. Heroin withdrawal is not physically dangerous, but will be unpleasant.
Seeking help from a doctor or drug dependence clinic could relieve some of the symptoms. Medication can be given to help someone through withdrawal, and other support will be available. Longer term users may be offered prescriptions for other opiates like methadone. It's usually prescribed as a liquid to drink. It's clean, it lasts for 12-24 hours and it costs a lot less than smack (free if you're on benefits). Just like heroin and other opiates, if you take methadone regularly you'll become dependent. Some people move from smoking heroin to injecting it. Injecting any drug involves extra risks. Overdose becomes more likely. Sharing injecting equipment (intentionally or accidentally) can expose a user to viruses like HIV and Hepatitis B and C (viral infections of the liver).
Legal status
Like cocaine, heroin is a class A drug. The same penalties for possession and supplying apply.
For a legal alternative to recreational drugs, try some of our Herbal Stimulants, all of which give you the same high but with none of the side-effects.
This online advice guide is an extract from the book TOGETHER, by kind permission of Patriic Gayle and Gay Times Books. The book itself is over 300 pages long and contains:
several chapters more useful advice and information
more in-depth information in some chapters
more pictures and tables
further contacts at the end of each chapter
a comprehensive listing of gay and health organisations
Described by Qx magazine as a 'Gay Bible', Together Book is a practical reference work no bookshelf should be without.
Available from Prowler Stores and all good bookshops, or click the link below for price and ordering details.
Heroin is usually sold as a brown powder. The powder starts life as the milky sap of the opium poppy papaverum somniferum. The sap is collected and dried to form a gum. The gum is washed and becomes opium. Opium contains two painkilling alkaloids, codeine and morphine. Morphine that has been extracted from opium can be further refined to create diamorphine, or heroin. Weight for weight, heroin is about 40 times more powerful than raw opium.
What does it do?
All opiates - drugs that come from the opium poppy - are painkillers, closely imitating your own painkilling body hormones (which is why they are so effective). People who use heroin describe feelings of relaxation, warmth and a sense of wellbeing. Nothing matters. Wrapped up in cotton wool. Initially, most people who use heroin feel nauseous and often vomit. This is followed by a period when the user is conscious but looks like they're falling asleep. Breathing and heart rate decrease. Once this has passed the user is able to interact normally with other people, although to them their experience will have taken on a dream-like quality. Heroin is used in medicine (it's called diamorphine when it's prescribed) as an anaesthetic and powerful analgesic for relief from severe pain. Regular use will cause dependence (see below) and constipation. Female users may have interrupted periods.
What are the risks?
There are two main risks with heroin: overdose and dependence. Heroin depresses the activity of the central nervous system like alcohol, sleeping tablets (temazepam, for example) and tranquillisers (like valium). This is what causes the breathing and heart rate to slow down. Someone who takes more of any depressant drug than their body can cope with (an overdose) will lose consciousness, drift off and will stop breathing. Mixing depressant drugs increases this risk - you can overdose much more easily. Injecting heroin can easily lead to an overdose. If you don't know how strong the heroin is, it's easy to take too much. If somebody is overdosing and starting to lose consciousness don't panic! It is important to call an ambulance and stay with them until help arrives. Try to keep them conscious for as long as possible - talk to them. If they lose consciousness, put them in the recovery position. If they vomit, clear their airway. When the paramedics arrive tell them what drugs have been taken so the right medical attention can be given to the person as soon as possible. If anybody takes an opiate regularly they will develop a physical tolerance to the substance (they need to take more to get the same effect). It doesn't make any difference whether an opiate is being smoked or injected, prescribed or taken without prescription. The body starts to rely on the chemical being present, and without it the user will become physically and mentally sick. It's not that unusual for someone with a heroin habit to find themselves using £25 - £100 worth of the drug each day. Finding the money for this kind of habit can become a problem in itself, often leading to dealing or other criminal activity. Someone withdrawing from an opiate habit (clucking, or going cold turkey) is likely to experience several unpleasant physical symptoms. Hot and cold sweats, nausea, diarrhoea and confusion are accompanied by an intense craving to take more of the drug to make them well again. Heroin withdrawal is not physically dangerous, but will be unpleasant.
Seeking help from a doctor or drug dependence clinic could relieve some of the symptoms. Medication can be given to help someone through withdrawal, and other support will be available. Longer term users may be offered prescriptions for other opiates like methadone. It's usually prescribed as a liquid to drink. It's clean, it lasts for 12-24 hours and it costs a lot less than smack (free if you're on benefits). Just like heroin and other opiates, if you take methadone regularly you'll become dependent. Some people move from smoking heroin to injecting it. Injecting any drug involves extra risks. Overdose becomes more likely. Sharing injecting equipment (intentionally or accidentally) can expose a user to viruses like HIV and Hepatitis B and C (viral infections of the liver).
Legal status
Like cocaine, heroin is a class A drug. The same penalties for possession and supplying apply.
For a legal alternative to recreational drugs, try some of our Herbal Stimulants, all of which give you the same high but with none of the side-effects.
This online advice guide is an extract from the book TOGETHER, by kind permission of Patriic Gayle and Gay Times Books. The book itself is over 300 pages long and contains:
Described by Qx magazine as a 'Gay Bible', Together Book is a practical reference work no bookshelf should be without.
Available from Prowler Stores and all good bookshops, or click the link below for price and ordering details.
1186
ProwlerDirect Top 10
choose currency
Payment on this site is in pounds sterling. The currency converter is for comparison only.
Latest Features