Heroin

WHAT IS HEROIN?

Heroin is a depressant, extracted from the opium poppy. It is stronger than morphine and opium. Other opioids include oxycodone, codeine, fentanyl, buprenorphine and methadone.

OTHER NAMES:

Smack, skag, H, dope, junk, hammer, slow, gear, Harry, big Harry, horse, black tar, china white, Chinese H, white dynamite, dragon, elephant, homebake, poison.

EFFECTS:

• In Victoria heroin usually comes as small white or off white rocks or powder but can also come in a much darker brown colour.
• Heroin is most commonly injected or smoked
• Using heroin can give you feelings of warmth, wellbeing, relaxation and sleepiness
• You might experience itching, sweating and impaired concentration.
• Heroin can also cause dizziness and vomiting
• If you’ve had too much heroin, you might have shallow breathing and extremely small pupils (known as ‘pinned’ pupils)
  DURATION
• You will feel the effects within a matter of seconds
• The peak of effects is from 30 minutes to 2 hours
• The high usually lasts between three and five hours
• You will start coming down from 6-12 hours
  OVERDOSE
• Shallow or difficult breathing, extremely small pupils (known as ‘pinned’), bluish nails and lips, inability to be roused or woken.
• An ambulance should be called if any of these symptoms occur.

SOME COMMON HARM REDUCTION STRATEGIES

Encourage a young person to: –

• Smoke instead of injecting
• Use safe injecting practices
• Avoid mixing with other drugs, especially depressants. Most heroin overdoses also involve other drugs like alcohol or benzos
• Use with someone, not alone
• Know your dealer and ask about strength and purity
• Learn about Naloxone (also known as Narcan), which can reverse an overdose
• Call an ambulance if an overdose is suspected

NB: Naloxone is available from these pharmacies free of charge: Take home naloxone program

This is only a little bit of information check out Harm Reduction Victoria’s fact sheet has heaps more info.

Or there’s this article from ADF in collaboration with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander service providers that has more information about heroin.