Heroine

What is Heroine?

Heroin, otherwise known as smack, brown, horse, gear, H, junk, skag and jack, is a highly addictive Class A drug. The pure white powder is a painkilling drug very similar to the medical drug morphine; both are derived from the opium poppy. ‘Street heroin’, however, is usually brownish-white because it is not pure.

Facts and figures

• This Class A drug can be snorted, smoked or injected into the veins.
• Because heroin is very addictive and because users develop a tolerance to it, it is common for people to start by snorting or smoking and progress to needing to inject in order to achieve the same high. Once addicted, users can find their lives completely taken over by the need to get the next fix. Giving up heroin is extremely difficult – both physically and mentally.

What heroin does

• The effect that heroin has on the user depends on the dose and how much they have taken in the past: the more they take the more they need to take in order to get the same effect and they may end up having to use the drug just to feel normal.
• Initially, a small dose will give the user a feeling of warmth and well-being, but for the first-time user this may be accompanied by dizziness and vomiting. A larger dose will induce drowsiness and relaxation.

Dangers and health risks

• A heroin overdose can put the user into a coma or even kill them.
• Injecting heroin can damage the veins and cause gangrene. It also puts users at risk of dangerous infections such as hepatitis and HIV unless they are careful never to share needles.