HEROIN
[ The Facts about Heroin | Physical Damage to Health ]
- Heroin is a semi-synthetic narcotic from the family known as narcotic analgesics, which means it is a strong sleep - inducing pain killer, these drugs are known as opiates.
- Heroin was developed as a substitute for morphine addiction, unfortunately heroin is much more potent and addictive.
- Heroin is the end product of an intricate chain of manufacture, and often contains other drugs added to produce particular grades of heroin eg: Far Eastern heroin made for smoking contains strychnine.
- Heroin comes in the form of powder and varies from white to brown and has a bitter taste.
- Heroin can be snorted up the nose, smoked or injected. Most probably for regular users injection is preferred. It can be skin popped (injected under the skin) or mainlined (injected into the veins).
- Many opiate substitutes are used by the addict when heroin can not be sourced such as methadone, dipipanone, morphine sulphate tablets etc.
- Heroin is a highly addictive drug - a serious, painful process of physical and psychological dependence on the drug can occur in a relatively short time
- With heroin addiction the problems are widespread and very dangerous - sharing needles and syringes with friends can cause a severe form of viral hepatitis which can lead to liver cancer
- Intravenous users are a high risk group for HIV infections which can result in the development of AIDS.
- Regular users become run down in health due to poor eating and lack of rest. Short term effects such as palpitations, rashes, constipation, runny nose and a reduced sex drive are very common
- The long term effects are very worrying. Damage is usually associated with unhygienic injection techniques and adulterants added to the heroin which do not dissolve. Other medical problems include: blood poisoning, infection of the heart valves, abscesses, clots in the lungs, gangrene, possible loss of limbs, lung problems, susceptibility to all infections due to lowered functioning of the immune system.
- Due to the serious depressant action of narcotics in general, heroin in particular, a heroin overdose is a major medical emergency and should be treated as such. Get proper medical help immediately.
DEATH CAUSED BY:
- overdose
- respiratory depression
- cardio-respiratory collapse
- disease contracted through intravenous drug use.
Drugs are illegal because they are dangerous - they are not dangerous because they are illegal.
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